


Try A Little Tenderness

by Sgt22



Category: Pretty In Pink (1986)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-05
Updated: 2016-05-17
Packaged: 2018-04-19 02:52:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 46
Words: 86,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4730036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sgt22/pseuds/Sgt22
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"...And deep down, you know she's right."  Those words have been ringing in Steff's ears for months; ever since the night when everything changed.  What would happen if Steff could convince Andie that he was the one she should really be with?  To what lengths would he be willing to go to prove that he's worthy of the woman that he's secretly loved for years?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

“ _She thinks you’re shit. And deep down, you know she’s right_.”

Steff stared at the ceiling of his bedroom, reliving that sucker punch to the gut again. He had lost count now of how many times he recalled it; sometimes it was several times an hour. **_Never_** less than a couple of times a day. She was **_right_**. He _was_ shit. He had treated Andie like shit, because that’s how she made him feel. The only girl who was immune to his charms, meager as they were. Steff wasn’t stupid; he knew he was blessed with wealth and good looks, neither of which he had earned. It was all a just a matter of being born into the right family, and it was his luck of the draw that he had been. He had never earned a single thing of his own in his entire life; everything had been given to him, and all he was expected to do was take, take, take. So he did. Which is why he was dumbfounded when Andie consistently rebuffed his advances. Steff smiled faintly, recalling the way Benny used to complain about Andie; her brains, her red hair, her John Lennon glasses which Benny said made her look like the owl on the Tootsie Roll Pop commercial, her bohemian style of dress which she likened to someone’s granny fresh off the bus from Woodstock, the list went on and on. Steff hadn’t seen, or even thought about Benny in months, but he was still amused by her turn of a phrase. “ _You’re a faggot, Blane!_ ” was his personal favorite.

He sighed deeply and turned over onto his side, now staring unseeingly out the window, and thought back to that night, the night he had revisited literally thousands of times over the past four months. He and Benny had broken up that night at prom. After watching Andie walk into the dance with that little weirdo she was always hanging out with, her head held high and her spirit unbowed by his own petty attempts at sabotaging her relationship with Blane, he knew he was done with Benny, done with being nothing but a self-centered, narcissistic, entitled piece of shit.

“ _She thinks you’re shit. And deep down, you know she’s right._ ” Steff had blinked, stunned by Blane’s sudden insight. Blane wasn’t usually given to such perceptiveness. Steff’s mind had fished around, casting in vain for a clever, boredom-drenched comeback, but none was forthcoming. Then Blane had walked away, leaving him standing there, a sour taste in his mouth, and a churning in his gut, as realization of the truth of his words began to sink in. After a moment, Steff had walked blindly back to his table, fished in his tux jacket for the room key, and tossed it to Benny. “Go on up and get the party started. I’ll be along in a bit.” He stood silently as his “friends” gathered their things from the table and departed, but his attention was fixed on the scene transpiring across the room. Blane was talking to Andie. From what Steff could surmise, it wasn’t going well for Blane. _Good, you stupid bastard; you don’t deserve her any more than I do._ Steff watched as Andie briskly wiped a tear from her face, her posture rigid and distant as Blane leaned in and said something to her. An overwhelming sensation, primitive and fierce unfurled in Steff’s chest, watching Andie bravely face her betrayer, determined not to surrender an inch, and he wanted to pound Blane’s stupid, faggot face in. _You don’t get to tell her anything, you coward! You treated her even worse than I did!_ Steff abruptly turned from the scene and made his way quickly to the men’s room, just in time to empty the contents of his stomach. The others in the restroom probably thought it was because he’d had too much to drink; Steff knew the truth. Unbearable shame and remorse were the culprits. As he washed his hands and splashed water on his face, he looked at his reflection in the mirror. Took a long, hard look. _She’s right. I **am** shit._ Steff wiped his face and hands, threw the towel away, and exited the men’s room. He walked determinedly through the ballroom and out the door, stopping only long enough to use the desk phone to call up to the suite he had rented for the night. The conversation with Benny was mercifully brief; he told her he couldn’t see her anymore and to go ahead and continue with the party. In retrospect that may have been a mistake; she was so enraged by being dumped on prom night that she had proceeded to run up an amazingly spiteful room service bill and bar tab, and she and her friends had trashed the room to boot. His parents had not been amused.

At school the following Monday, he had been shocked, and then sickened and depressed by the sight of Blane and Andie walking arm in arm, as though nothing had happened. Her little weirdo friend had been walking past and had noticed the stricken look on Steff’s face. “I know. Sucks, right?” Duckie had muttered as he walked by. Steff nodded, saying nothing. By that Friday, Andie had come to her senses again, and had given Blane his walking papers. Outwardly, Steff took no notice, pretending to be involved in the hoopla surrounding graduation. Inwardly, he was satisfied, if not overjoyed. Blane didn’t deserve Andie; neither one of them did. Blane was nothing but a pussy, and he, an arrogant, bored, spoiled brat, consumed with self-loathing.

As he walked out of school for the last time that Friday afternoon, he immediately spied Andie making her way to her Karmann Ghia. He walked quickly to catch up with her; this might be his last chance to ever speak to her, and he was determined not to let the opportunity slip through his fingers.

“Andie!” he called, a bit more loudly than he intended.

Andie turned and glanced at him, and immediately returned to unlocking her car door. She inwardly steeled herself for another unpleasant exchange. _What is **with** this guy? He can’t just be satisfied with being the most gorgeous boy in school. He has to make sure everybody knows it too. Why is he such an ungodly **prick** to me all the time?_

“Don’t worry Steff. Blane’s all yours again. You needn’t worry about him bringing his “ _trash_ ” to your graduation party” she said dismissively.

Steff winced. _Blane, you fucking asshole! You **told** her I said she was trash? Why would you **do** that? Why would you tell her something that would only hurt her like that?_

Steff gently put his hand on Andie’s, stopping her from opening her car door. Andie looked up, only now noticing how close Steff was standing. Steff’s heart was pounding in his ears; he was terrified, and determined not to screw this up.

“Andie,” he began softly, “I’m sorry.”

Andie inhaled sharply, her eyes widening, then immediately narrowing in suspicion.

He continued. “I’m really, _truly_ , sorry for the way I’ve treated you. You deserve kindness and respect, and I’ve never once shown you either. You’re worth a hundred of any of us and I wanted you to know that. I don’t deserve your forgiveness, and I don’t deserve your friendship, so I won’t even ask for it, but I didn’t want to let you leave my life without ever knowing how I really feel about you, and how sorry I am for hurting you.”

Steff looked down, unshed tears gathering in his eyes, and inhaled deeply, waiting for her to tell him to fuck off.

Andie was speechless, her mind reeling. She stared at him, open mouthed. Is this another one of his asshole pranks? She glanced around wildly, expecting to see Benny and the rest of her coven of witches, pointing and laughing. Seeing no one, she regarded Steff again closely. He finally met her eyes, and she saw in them fear and deep sorrow.

They held each other’s gaze for long moments, and in that time, each felt a small shift. Neither could have said what the shift was, but it was there and had happened, nonetheless.

Steff removed his hand from atop Andie’s, and stepped back. She hadn’t told him to fuck off, but he didn’t want to press his luck. He smiled. “Good luck after graduation, Andie. I mean that.”

Andie cocked her head a bit and studied him, as though seeing the real Steff for the first time. _Where the hell was this guy three years ago?_ she wondered. She gave him a shy smile, the first genuine smile she had ever bestowed upon him. Steff felt that smile all the way down to his toes, like the sun coming out from behind the clouds on a winter’s day. Steff beamed in return, nodded, and turned and walked away.

He had only seen her once more after that, at graduation, after the ceremony was over. She was hugging her dad, and their eyes had locked from across the room. He smiled and nodded at her in acknowledgement, and she had given a bright smile and a small wave in return. His dad had noticed and had good naturedly elbowed him in the ribs. “Stay away from redheads, son. You’re no match for ‘em.” “I’m no match for **_that_** one, that’s for sure” Steff had agreed.

Steff sat up on his bed and looked at the clock. It was time to get going; first day of class at UC Santa Barbara. His parents had been shocked when he had changed his mind about going to school on the east coast, insisting instead on getting his own apartment and a part time job and going to school locally. It wasn’t much of a job; he worked part time at a medical supply store, delivering orders, but he had gotten the job all by himself and was proud of himself for actually earning the pittance he was paid. His apartment wasn’t much to write home about either, but Steff wasn’t fooling himself; he wasn’t so plebian that he would stoop to living in a dorm. Around strangers. Who would probably be loud and smelly. So instead, he stooped to living in a slightly dumpy apartment by himself, where he wouldn’t have to worry about whose hair that was in the shower.

Steff arrived at school early enough to get a cup of coffee and sit down on a bench under an oak tree and have a smoke as he watched the other students walk by. The place was a mad house; the freshmen looking scared and lost, constantly glancing around, trying to get their bearings. The upper classmen wandering around, looking bored, but happy to be back at school; already making plans for back to school parties that were probably still going on somewhere. Girls walked by, most noticing the gorgeous boy sitting by himself on the bench. Steff was used to girls noticing him of course. They had been throwing themselves at him since he was 11, so their regard was nothing new – he just tried not to be such a condescending asshole about it now, is all.

Steff glanced down at his watch and saw that it was almost time to get to class. He stood and began to make his way to the lecture hall for Comp I. As expected, it was cram packed with freshmen, looking either nervous, or sleepy. He took one of the few remaining seats and got out his notebook and pen and got ready for class to begin. As the instructor began to go over classroom policy and grading procedures, the entrance door on the other side of the auditorium opened and a late arrival entered. Steff glanced over and all the air went out of his lungs with a ** _whoosh_**.

_**It was Andie**_.

**Author’s Note** : I have always had a love/hate relationship with Pretty in Pink. Love the movie, hate the choice that Andie makes at the end of the movie. I used to think that Andie should have chosen Duckie, however, lately I’ve come to realize that the most intriguing relationship in the movie is everything that is and isn’t going on between Steff and Andie. Reviews are appreciated, so let me know what you think!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Andie was not having an auspicious start to her freshman year of college. She had gotten moved into her dorm room over the weekend, and had met her suite mates, and they all seemed okay. As an only child, one who was more accustomed to being the parent in the relationship, she found all the giggling and screaming and banging around that went on at all hours of the day and night a little hard to bear. _Damn fucking annoying_ , was what it was. It’s not that she needed to have lights out at 9pm, far from it. It was just all the constant racket was wearing on her nerves, and she had only been here three days. Maybe I’m homesick, she thought. Determined to suck it up and roll with it, she decided to ignore it as best she could, and try and get in the spirit of college life. So she was friendly to everyone, and tried to be as outgoing as she could stand to be.

Trouble was, Andie was a worrier. She had spent her life worrying about her dad, worrying about whether she’d ever see her mom again, worrying about money, worrying about how she was dressed, worrying about fitting in at her stupid, Richie Rich high school, worrying about whether that stupid rich cow Benny, and her ugly, stupid rich friends would pick today to embarrass her in front of the entire class, and mostly, worrying that she would never make it out of her neighborhood, away from the wrong side of the tracks. Graduation had put most of those worries behind her, _thank God!_ but that only meant Andie had a new and different set of problems to worry about.

She had lain awake all night, worrying about her first day of college – the first day of being an official grown up. She was ready for the course work, and excited about the classes she would be taking. But she was worried about the future, about whether she would fit in here at UC Santa Barbara. She had originally planned on going to fashion design school, but after a long talk with Iona, she had amended her plans. She was still going to pursue a career in fashion design, but she would get a Bachelor’s in Business Administration as well. She wasn’t going to end up as one of those hippy dippy designers who were constantly broke because they didn’t understand the _business_ side of the fashion business. Andie wanted to **_own_** a design house someday, not just be another basement designer, slaving away for someone else’s label. As for fitting in at school – this was a battle Andie was familiar with. Problem was, Andie was so much older, emotionally, than any of her peers, that it made it difficult for her to relate to a lot of their problems. That, and privately, she found most of them to be insufferably vapid.

To distract herself from these musings, she thought about Duckie. Duckie had actually managed to graduate, although secretly, Andie’s money would have been on them having to burn the school down in order to get him out of it. Iona had seen fit to capitalize on Duckie’s encyclopedic knowledge of all things Motown, and had given him Andie’s job at Trax when she left for school. Andie wasn’t exactly sure what was up with Iona’s and Duckie’s relationship. It might be strictly business, or it might be a little bit more. With the amount of time they spent working together, it was pretty natural that Duckie’s obsessive behavior would find a new target, and who knew, maybe Iona liked having a boy toy around. Whatever it was, it seemed to work for them.

Her last night at home, Duckie had been over, helping her pack. As they sorted through Andie’s clothes, out of the blue, Duckie asked “So do you ever hear from **_Blaaaaaaaane?_** ” That was how he always said it – drawn out and exaggerated.

Andie snorted. “ ** _No_**. Well, I take that back. He did call a couple of weeks ago to tell me he was leaving for Northwestern, and to say goodbye.”

Duckie’s eyebrows raised comically. “And you didn’t think to tell me this? I could have put him on my route – driven by and waited for him to come out and check the mail, and then kicked his ass!”

Andie laughed. “Thanks, hon, but not necessary. I think he probably has _people_ to check the mail for him. And I would hate to think of one of his maids kicking your ass”, she grinned. She shook her head at the memory of all the nonsense that was her relationship with Blane. He had been utterly unworthy of her time.

Duckie sputtered in mock outrage as he selected some of her panties to pack. “What? What? Are you casting aspersions on my pugilistic sensibilities? Why, I’ll have you know that asshole friend of his folded like a cheap suit when I kicked his ass!”

Andie turned and regarded Duckie, a disbelieving expression on her face. “You kicked someone’s ass? Whose?”

“That chain smoking faggot, Steff” he replied dismissively.

Andie began to laugh, a newfound respect for Duckie shining in her eyes. If there was ever anyone who deserved to have his ass handed to him by an awkward little nerd who didn’t weigh 90 lbs. soaking wet, it was Steff.

“You know I never could figure that guy out. He was such an asshole to me – called me Eddie about half the time, and he was so rude and condescending, and **_mean_**. Then, out of nowhere, he comes up to me on the last day of school and apologized for how he’d treated me for the last three years. _So **weird**_.” She picked out all the jewelry that she couldn’t live without from her atop dresser, and put it in her makeup bag.

Duckie sat on the bed and looked at his feet. “Oh, **_I_** know why he acted like that. Having suffered from an advanced form of the affliction for years myself, I can spot it in others” he remarked, as he surreptitiously slipped a pair of pink lacy panties into his jacket pocket.

Andie walked over and placed some sweaters into the suitcase. She looked at Duckie silently, her right eyebrow raised, her right hand out, palm up. Duckie sighed, dug in his pocket and handed her back the pink panties. Andie turned, hiding a grin, and tossed the panties into the suitcase. “Okay then Doctor Phil, why was Steff such a dick to me?”

“Don’t you get it Andie? The guy was _crazy_ about you, and you blew him off. But you didn’t just blow him off, you **_loathed_** him, and made sure he knew it.” Duckie shook his head. “You were probably the only girl in his whole life who ever told him “no”. And that made you irresistible. If he weren’t such an asshole, I’d almost feel sorry for him.” Duckie began to laugh. “You should have seen his face, that Monday after prom, when he saw you and _**Blaaaaaaaaane**_ back together again. He was heartbroken, and trying like hell not to show it.” Duckie’s laughs tapered off as he sobered. _As many times as I saw that same expression in my own mirror, I ought not to be so amused, he thought._

Andie sat next to Duckie, and considered. After a time she said “He asked me out a few times, but I always thought it was some kind of set up. Like he’d stand me up, or take me somewhere and then ditch me, or try and get in my pants and then tell everyone at school he scored. So I always said no.”

Duckie stood, did a slide across the floor, followed by a couple of spins, and said, “He should have taken my man Otis’s advice, and “Tried A Little Tenderness”.

Andie laughed, love for her best friend shining in her eyes. “No one but you and Michael Jackson can work that move – it’s best if we leave it in the hands of you professionals.”

As Andie’s thoughts turned from remembering that last night at home, she reflected on the last time she had seen Steff, the night of graduation. She had been so stunned from receiving his apology the day before, she was pretty sure she hadn’t even said anything to him in response. Well what the hell was she supposed to say to all that anyway? _Hey, no problem Steff! I forgive you for being a total douchebag to me – it’s all good!_ There **_had_** been that one moment though. After he had apologized. He was looking down, like he was afraid to make eye contact with her. And when he did finally look up, Andie swore to God it looked like he was going to cry. As they had looked at each other, Andie felt like she was seeing the real Steff for the first time. The Steff no one else had ever seen. The realization that there was a **_real person_** trapped inside that beautiful, horrible shell, and that she had been the only one to ever catch sight of him, had made her smile.

So when she saw him across the room after graduation was over, she halfway hoped he would come over and speak to her. She had been mildly disappointed when he hadn’t, but really, what would have been the point, anyway? He had said all that had needed to be said. Well, all **_he_** needed to say, anyway. Andie could think of loads of stuff she might like to say, given the chance.

So it was in this vein that Andie spent the night before the first day of classes. She got so little rest, that she slept through her alarm, and had to rush to her first class. She was borderline late, and to add insult to injury, had run off and left her glasses back in the dorm. As she entered the lecture hall, she squinted, searching for a vacant seat. At last she found one, next to a pretty, green-eyed brunette, who smiled as Andie sat down. “Did I miss anything?” Andie whispered. “No, he’s just going over the grading procedures and the calendar” the girl whispered back.

Andie got situated as the girl handed her the class syllabus, which was being passed out. She took a moment to glance around at all the other people in the lecture hall; not that she could really see any of them without her glasses on. Her eyes were drawn to a blurry, blond boy, who was sitting a few rows back on the far side of the auditorium, and who appeared to be staring at her. She couldn’t make out any of his features, other than he was blond and wearing an electric blue polo, but something about him seemed familiar.

He smiled and gave a small wave.

**_Oh my God! Is that Steff?_ **

**Author’s Note** : Thank you to everyone for taking the time to read this. Reviews are greatly appreciated!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Steff was deep in the throes of a “fight or flight” conundrum. He was positive that the girl who had just walked in was Andie, but he didn’t have the first idea what he should do about it. When he first saw her, he thought perhaps his mind was playing tricks on him. He had, after all, just spent the last 3 months fixating on her. She was always the last thing he thought of at night, and usually, when he was driving, his mind would wander to thoughts of her. And of course, he _always_ thought of her while he was in the shower. And every time he felt himself falling back into old habits; of acting rudely, or being bored and condescending, he stopped and thought about what Andie would say if she could see him. He spent so much time alone these days that he obsessively replayed every interaction with her that he could recall. So he wasn’t surprised, when over the summer he started seeing her face in crowds. What stunned him this time was that it actually _**was**_ her that he was seeing. The realization slammed him in the chest and robbed him of breath.

She looked as beautiful as ever. Her hair was a bit longer, but it suited her. Her wardrobe was still a mess, but underneath the 2nd hand style, there was a chic elegance to the ensemble that was solely due to Andie’s unique flair. Steff knew that kind of eye couldn’t be taught; you either had it, or you didn’t. Her owlish glasses, which he secretly thought were adorable, were gone. _Must’ve gotten contacts_ , he thought. He watched as she searched the crowded auditorium looking for a seat, simultaneously praying she wouldn’t look his way, and terrified that if she didn’t, he wouldn’t get to talk to her.

Steff never heard another word that the instructor said the rest of class. Every fiber of his being was focused on Andie. When she finally found a seat, he relaxed a bit, knowing that he had 55 minutes to calm his shit down and get it together enough to go talk to her when class was over. He began to fret over what to say. He couldn’t take his eyes off her – what were the odds that Andie would come back into his life so unexpectedly? He sent up a silent thanks to a God he had only recently started to believe in again – _thank you God! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!_

While papers were being passed out, he watched her glance around the lecture hall. His heart beat wildly in his chest as she looked his way, her gaze landing directly on him. She looked perplexed at first, her brow furrowed in puzzlement, as though she didn’t recognize him. _Well, that’s disheartening_ , he thought, _three months and she’s already forgotten me_. He gave her a shy smile and a small wave.

After a moment, Andie’s eyes widened in shock and she realized who was waving at her. ** _Steff?_** , she mouthed. He nodded again, smiling bigger this time. Andie’s face lit up as she grinned back, and waved at him in return. _Oh my God, what is Steff doing here?_ she thought. It was so unreal – she had just been thinking about him last night, and then here he was in her first class. Her mind flashed back to what Duckie had said; that the reason Steff had been such a shit to her was to cover up the pain her rejection had caused. It had genuinely never occurred to Andie that Steff felt anything for her other than contempt. If the opportunity ever presented itself, she intended to get to the bottom of that mystery.

Steff could breathe again. He inhaled deeply, the tightness in his chest and throat loosening up. “Wait for me after class” he mouthed while pointing in the general direction of the door she came in through. Andie smiled and nodded; even though she couldn’t see him well enough to read his lips, she got the gist of the message that he wanted to talk to her after class.

Steff never took his eyes off of her the remainder of the period. When at last the instructor’s interminable yammering reached its conclusion, class was dismissed. Steff watched as Andie gathered her belongings and said goodbye to the girl she was sitting next to, however, she remained seated. _Good_. When the crowd thinned out, Steff stood up, took a deep breath, and walked over to where she sat, waiting. Andie tracked his movements from her peripheral vision, and as he neared, she stood and turned to face him.

“ _Andie!_ ” Steff exclaimed, a note of genuine pleasure in his voice.

Andie smiled a trifle nervously. “Hi Steff” She paused. Now was the awkward part – the follow up. Was the “old asshat” Steff going to appear, or would it be the “real human” incarnation from the last day of school?

“I’m gonna give you a hug” he said, stepping closer and wrapping his arms around her. “Because I’m really happy to see you. I hope that’s okay.” Not that he planned on giving her a chance to object – he had her in his arms, and wasn’t going to squander the opportunity. To his shock, and relief, Andie returned his hug.

Steff knew he only had to the count of “three Mississippi” at the most, before he would have to release her, or run the risk of it getting weird, and he planned on savoring every one of those precious Mississippies. He closed his arms snugly around her and pulled her in close. He closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of her hair, and gently kissed the side of her head. He was astonished when, after a moment, he felt her relax into his embrace and heard the smile in her voice as she softly said, “I’m glad to see you too.”

He couldn’t stop himself from pushing his luck a little bit, and held onto her until “four Mississippi”. When at last he stepped back, he was pleased to see Andie’s cheeks blushing very prettily. Steff was secretly enthralled by the involuntary reaction he had caused. He actually couldn’t recall having ever even **_seen_** a girl blush before; all the girls of his acquaintance were just like him, jaded and bored. He felt like he couldn’t wipe the silly grin off his face for managing such an accomplishment.

_**Maybe** …maybe she **might** like me! At least I don’t think she hates my guts anymore_. Steff was afraid to follow that train of thought any further.

As Andie looked up into those heavy lidded blue eyes that had lately been haunting her thoughts, she thought _Dammit. He’s still the most beautiful guy I’ve ever seen._ Her face felt hot, and she barely suppressed the urge to fan herself. She had been stunned by the feeling of being in his arms; she hadn’t expected to feel **_treasured_**. _Get a grip girl! It was just a hug!_

He searched her eyes, and with a hopeful note in his voice asked “So, you wanna get out of here?”

 

**A/N:** Thanks for reading!  Please leave me a note and let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

 

Steff held the door open for her as they exited the lecture hall. The passageways were crowded with students rushing to their next class and Steff lightly placed his large hand at the small of Andie’s back, gently guiding her through and shielding her from the throng. He likewise held the door when they exited the building. Andie was perplexed by how this gentlemanly behavior made her feel. She was unused to feeling protected, looked after. The only word she could come up with to describe it was “ _cherished_.” As she glanced up at Steff, she took note that he had grown some over the summer. He was definitely taller than she recalled, his shoulders looked broader, as though he had been doing manual labor. _Right, **Steff** doing manual labor, get real._ Some things hadn’t changed though. That gorgeous mane of blond hair, his beautiful face. _How unfair, he’s prettier than almost every girl I know, including me._

They sat down on a bench overlooking the commons, each a little nervous about what the other would say. Steff lit a cigarette, belatedly realizing it would make the shaking of his hands more obvious. Maybe she wouldn’t notice. He crossed his legs, resting his ankle on his knee, and tried to appear relaxed. Andie adjusted her posture so that her whole body was turned towards him; she wanted to fully observe him close up. She didn’t know this version of Steff, and certainly didn’t trust him yet; she needed to form an impression before she made that kind of decision. She searched his face, her eyes roaming over each aspect of his features, studying him in detail. His eyes looked clearer, more alive than she remembered them being in high school, but they seemed much older as well.

Steff was alternately pleased and unnerved by her close scrutiny. “So what have you been doing since graduation? Travelling, going to parties, hanging out?” she guessed.

Steff exhaled a lung full of smoke and shook his head. “No to all. I’ve pretty much been by myself all summer. Been doing a lot of reading, and thinking. I’ve been purging a lot of stuff out of my life that was weighing me down.”

Andie was taken aback. Bored, party boy Steff was indulging in self-examination? _Will wonders never cease?_

Steff wasn’t really ready to talk about any of that with Andie yet. This was only the 2nd time they had been on good speaking terms – well, actually, the first, if you really wanted to get technical about it. The other time, he had been the only one speaking. He didn’t want to overwhelm her with everything that he had discovered about himself and his life over the last three months. Hopefully, if she consented to becoming his friend, there would be time enough to talk about all that later.

“I was pretty shocked when I realized it was you back there” Andie said.

“You didn’t even look like you knew me at first.” Steff turned his head to look at her full on, the weight of those impossibly blue eyes drilling into her. He arched his left eyebrow and added with mock earnestness, “I have to admit my feelings were pretty hurt.” He smiled.

_Dammit! Why did he have to be so fucking beautiful?_ Andie smiled. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to bruise your tender sensibilities. I looked like I didn’t recognize you because I **_didn’t_** recognize you. I left my glasses back in my dorm room – I could barely **_see_** you.”

Steff smiled and nodded. “Well that’s all fine then; I knew you couldn’t forget me that quickly,” he said airily. Inwardly, he breathed a sigh of relief – she hadn’t forgotten about him after all! “What about you, Andie? What did you do this summer?”

Andie slowly shook her head. “Nothing, really. I worked a lot, trying to save up some money. Spent a lot of time with my dad, getting him used to the idea of me leaving home.”

Steff steeled himself for what he was about to ask next. _In for a penny, in for a pound_. He took another deep drag on his cigarette. “So you seeing anybody?”

Andie’s eyes narrowed, and her spine involuntarily stiffened. Steff could immediately feel his misstep, but it was too late to reel it back in. Andie studied him closely, but didn’t answer right away. After seemingly an eternity, she asked “Why do you want to know, Steff?”

Steff inhaled deeply and prayed his voice wouldn’t crack. “I’ll be honest with you Andie. I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about you this summer. I would like for us to get to know each other, for real this time. Not dating, no sex. I just want to discover you, and I would like you to get to know the guy I’m becoming.”

Andie was nonplussed and more than a little suspicious. “What happened to the guy who was always scamming on me?”

Steff winced at that painful reminder. “I was such a dick to you Andie. I hope that one day you can forgive me and look past that.”

Andie said nothing, just looked at him, right eyebrow raised. “Let me get this straight; you **_don’t_** want to date me” she remarked at last.

Steff shook his head. _Baby, I want a **lot** more than just that from you,_ he thought. “You don’t know me, and you unquestionably have no reason to trust me. I want us to get to know each other. I want you to like me, but I have to prove to you first that I’ve changed, that you can trust me, that I’m even worthy of your friendship.” Steff paused, then reached over and trailed his long index finger down Andie’s hand, tracing the top surface of her first finger and then under, to the palm side. Andie inhaled sharply and watched, transfixed, as his fingers trailed over her hand, again and again, the sensation of it doing funny things to her insides. After a moment she gently grasped his index finger between her forefinger and thumb and held it. He curled his first and second digits around her thumb in response. Andie tore her gaze away from their entwined fingers and looked up into Steff’s heavy lidded stare.

Steff’s heart was pounding in his ears. It took every ounce of his self-control not to pull her to him and kiss her. His eyes were dilated with desire – he was positive it was written on his face, how badly he wanted her, because as they looked in each other’s eyes, a blush began to creep across Andie’s face. Steff’s gaze fell to Andie’s mouth; those achingly full, bee stung lips that had tormented his dreams for years. Rather than kissing those lips he longed for, he lifted the hand he was holding and without breaking eye contact, consoled himself with kissing it instead.

Andie’s heart beat wildly in her chest, the pulse point in her throat throbbing. Steff noticed and inwardly cheered. Steff noticed **_everything_** about Andie; her pounding pulse, her sharp intake of breath, her dilated eyes, her pink cheeks, her ragged breathing.

“So what do you think Andie? Think you have room in your life for one more friend?” _And please God, one day, something more_ , he added inwardly.

Andie blinked, and swallowed hard. She was about to either make the 2nd dumbest decision she’d ever made in her life (the first being dating Blane) or she was about to embark on an adventure. _Can I do this? Can I be **friends** with Steff?_

_Well, there’s only one way to find out_.

Andie leaned slightly in toward Steff, getting lost in his clear, blue eyes for a moment. _I’m going to end up drowning in those one day_ , she thought. She glanced down at their hands, still entwined. She got that strange fluttering sensation in her stomach again.

She looked back up and smiled.

“ _Yes_ ” she breathed.

A/N: Thank you to everyone who is reading! Feedback is always great – I would love to know what you think! Please review!


	5. Chapter 5

A joyous smile broke across Steff’s face. **_Yes!_** He wasn’t even going to try and pretend to be cool about it. He had broken through the first barrier on his inexorable mission to conquer Andie’s heart. He was so happy that she was going to give their friendship a chance, give **_him_** a chance, that he very nearly forgot himself and had begun to lean in to kiss her when he remembered – _**friends** only_. For now, anyway, he thought. However, Steff’s keen powers of observation picked up on the fact that in the split second that he had leaned towards her, Andie’s gaze had dropped briefly to his lips. And she did not look at all repulsed by the thought of him kissing her.

Steff caught himself in time and tried to cover by leaning back on the bench and stretching out, his hands behind his head, and his long legs extending out, crossed at the ankles. He inhaled deeply, able to relax for what seemed like the first time in months. He felt excited, yet at peace. The world suddenly seemed brimming with possibilities.

He closed his eyes and lifted his face to the morning sun. “So, my newest **_friend_** , what’s your next class?”

Andie dug around in her notebook and pulled out her schedule. She was so bewildered by all the morning’s revelations that she couldn’t, for the life of her, remember what her next class was. Steff took a look at her schedule. “Oh, we have World History together tomorrow and Thursday.” He paused a beat. “Would it be okay if I asked to sit with you? I hear that’s what friends do” he said lightheartedly. _Please say yes, please say yes_.

Andie blinked in surprise. _So he really means it. He wants me to trust him._ She nodded and smiled. “Yeah, that would be great!”

Steff continued to peruse her schedule. “Which dorm hall do you live in?”

“Anderson Hall. Fourth floor. It’s a lot of stairs, but at least there’s nobody thumping around above me. That’s pretty much the least annoying aspect of living in a dorm. What about you? Which dorm do you live in – or let me guess, you already pledged a frat and are living in the frat house.”

Steff gave a small chuckle. “I can barely stand to be around myself; there’s no way I could live around a bunch of strangers” he said, looking down and shaking his head. _Dammit, I didn’t mean to tell her that!_

Andie’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “You don’t like being around other people?” She kindly left out his admission of self-loathing.

Steff was **_not_** ready to have this conversation. He inhaled briskly and sat up straight. “That, my sweet, is a conversation for another day.” He smiled and gently placed a stray curl behind her ear. “Suffice it to say that I like being around **_you_** , and we’ll leave it at that, for now.”

He stood up, extended his hand, and pulled Andie to her feet. “I’m gonna hug you goodbye now. Because…” he hesitated. “Hell. Because I want to, that’s why.” They both laughed.

“Because that’s what friends do” Andie said in mock seriousness. And then smiled up at him. Steff ran his hands slowly up her arms and gently pulled her close. He sighed in pleasure as he lightly nuzzled his cheek in her hair, imprinting the scent of her on his senses.

Andie slowly, tentatively, wound her arms around him, her hands lightly grasping his lower back. She felt him nestle his face in her hair, and something warm and pleasant unfurled deep in her belly. She relaxed into the hug and allowed herself to melt into him just the tiniest little bit. The largest part of her was still wary of this new Steff – but Holy God, he was hotter than hell, and making her feel like she’d never felt before. She’d be a fool not to enjoy it at least just a little bit!

Steff forced himself to release her and step away after the 4th Mississippi – if he let it stretch to 5 Mississippies he was going to blow his cover. He couldn’t stop himself from tucking another stray curl behind her ear though. He very badly wanted to maintain some physical contact with her, no matter how minute. After tucking away the curl, he very slowly, deftly, trailed a finger down her neck, across her shoulder, and down her arm, his eyes never leaving the trail he was tracing. Andie felt her flesh heat up everywhere his eyes touched, and she was barely able to suppress a shiver.

Andie watched him as he devoured her with his gaze. His eyes roamed over her face, lingering over her eyes, her mouth, her eyes again. “You never did tell me where you live” she said at last, mostly just to keep him from stepping away. She wanted to bask in the heat of his gaze, feel the weight of his heavy lidded stare.

Steff smiled. “You’re going to laugh when I tell you, so I’m not going to tell you” he said playfully. “And besides, you’re such a well-known snob, you’ll probably look down on me when you finally see the place.”

Andie sputtered in outrage before she saw that Steff was joking. It was going to take her some time to get used to Steff’s sense of humor – playful, self-deprecating, a little dry, and slightly teasing. He liked to give her a bit of a hard time – see if he could push her buttons. That much hadn’t changed, but there was no malice in his humor now. Andie made a conscious decision right then to stop expecting Steff to try and humiliate or burn her. They could joke around, **_like friends_** , without having to scorch each other to the ground. Steff was inwardly delighted when he saw the realization that he was just joking cross her face. They both began to laugh.

“Okay, princess, I gotta get to my next class. You have a splendiferous day, alright?” He grinned.

“It’s already been pretty splendiferous. You have a great day too and I’ll see you in class tomorrow. Oh, if you get there before me, I need to sit kinda close to the board. I’m kinda blind, even with my glasses.”

Steff nodded and turned to go.

“Steff?”

He stopped and turned back to her.

Andie took a deep breath. “I just wanted you to know that I’m not going to look down on you or judge you anymore. You want me to be able to trust you, and I want you to be able to trust **_me_** too. So…. Clean slate, for both of us, okay?”

Steff’s throat closed up and he could feel the burn of unshed tears. He managed a small smile and nodded in gratitude. It was too much for him to take though – he couldn’t just walk away after a declaration like that.

He stepped back and pulled Andie tightly into his arms, his right hand snaking up the back of her neck and into her hair, holding her. He squeezed his eyes shut tight, lest any tears escape. He kissed the side of her head and breathed “ ** _Oh, Andie_** ”

This time, neither of them counted the Mississippies.

 

.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Reviews are greatly appreciated – I would love to hear what you think!


	6. Chapter 6

Steff stepped out of the shower and began to towel off. He wiped the fog off the mirror and looked at himself. For the first time in months, he could stand to make eye contact with the guy looking back at him. Two words rang in his ears – the most exquisite words he could conceive.

_Clean slate_.

Andie would never know how precious those words were to him. He had barely been able to keep it together after she had said she wanted to start over with a clean slate. He all but fell on her in his haste to hold her in his arms again. As he held her he could feel all his suppressed longing threatening to burst out and spill over. His breathing became labored and he trembled with the effort of maintaining his slipping control. It was too soon for him to let all those feelings out, too soon to let her see. If he let them out, the force of them would be like a dam bursting; it would sweep them both away. While a large part of him **_wanted_** Andie to be as swept away by him as he was by her, the deeper part of Steff’s heart was set on a long term goal. Steff wanted Andie with a ferocity that sometimes scared him, but what he wanted most was for her to **_love_** him. _Really, truly, deeply **love**_ him – and Steff knew that type of love didn’t happen overnight. It had to be rooted and grounded in something real; something more than just fleeting physical desire or a surface infatuation. Steff had never experienced that kind of love before; neither as giver nor receiver, but dear God, now that it was within sight, the intensity of his yearning for it was overwhelming.

_Clean slate._

Those words meant that Andie wanted this to be a two way street. Steff was staggered that she wanted _**him**_ to trust _**her**_ as well. That she wanted something real from him too. Whether she was consciously aware of it or not, she wanted to open herself up to him, the same as he wanted to open himself to her. Those words had held forgiveness. And more enticing, more dangerous; they held **_hope_**. Hope that he hadn’t irrevocably fucked things up between them, hope that they could maybe see where this new friendship would take them, together.

“ ** _Oh, Andie_** ” was all he could manage without bursting into tears.

Andie felt the depth of gratitude pouring forth from those words all the way down to her toes. As well as some other emotion she wasn’t ready to put a name to. But whatever it was, it was powerful; she could sense the intensity of it coming off of him in waves. She could feel Steff shaking and she wrapped her arms around him tightly, nestling her face in his chest and holding him close. Andie knew instinctively that he had never allowed anyone to get close enough to see the chinks in his armor, and he was probably terrified of showing any vulnerability in front of her. She melted into him, molding naturally into his embrace, and rubbed slow circles into his back. She felt his breath hitch as he tightened his hold on her, and she could feel his heart hammering in his chest, like a bird beating its wings against a cage, trying to break free. They stood like that for long moments – each feeling like they were on the brink of something neither had known before, until at last Steff’s breathing calmed and she felt his anxiety slipping away. Eventually, he marginally loosened his hold on her, but made no move to end the embrace, his right hand still buried in her hair, cradling the back of her head – the left firmly placed between her shoulder blades, caressing her. He gently kissed the side of her head again and moved to look down into her eyes. _You have no idea how much I love you_ , he thought.

Andie inhaled deeply and slowly blinked, as though waking from a spell, and gave him a gentle smile. Falling into the depths of his stunning sapphire eyes, she thought, _Yep, **drowning** \- feels just like I knew it would._

He kissed her forehead, remaining there for a moment – _do **friends** do that? Who gives a shit, I’m doing it_ – and smiled. “Thank you”.

Andie very badly wanted to kiss him. _**Very**_ **_badly_**. Instead, glancing at his lips, her eyes lingering involuntarily, and then meeting his gaze again, she smiled and said “I’ve probably made you late for your next class. I don’t want you to make a bad impression with your professor. I couldn’t live with the guilt” she added playfully.

Steff nodded thoughtfully and slowly released her. “Well, I’m friends with a notorious trouble maker now. I’m bound to make a bad impression or two as a result” he replied knowingly as he winked at her. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Princess.” When neither made a move, Steff made a twirling motion with his finger and gestured that she should turn around and walk away. “As your _**friend**_ , I don’t think it’s appropriate for you to ogle my butt as I walk away”, he grinned.

Andie began to sputter in protest, but then blushed furiously and pressed her lips together tightly. **_Busted!_** “Good _**bye**_ , Steff!” she huffed, but they both knew it was just an act. She could hear his good natured laughter echoing after her as she summoned as much dignity as she could muster and turned and walked away. Distracted as she was, it never occurred to her that Steff was taking full advantage of the opportunity to ogle **_her_** butt instead. And enjoying every second of it.

Steff replayed the entirety of the morning’s interaction obsessively the rest of the day; his elation spilling over to color the rest of the day’s events; none of which he even recalled by the time he got into bed that night. As he smoked the day’s last cigarette, he took time to appreciate the moment. He was _ **happy**_. He felt **_alive_**. Steff hadn’t felt either of those sentiments in _**years**_. Over the past several months he had gone through, and was continuing to go through major changes. He felt as though he was waking up after being in a coma – coming back to life, learning how to ** _feel_ ** again, but until today he wouldn’t have characterized any of it as a pleasant experience. Today all that changed. Because….. ** _Andie_**. The sum of everything wonderful, contained in that one word, full of promise and possibility. He felt like all he needed to do was continue on the path he had set for himself, and everything would turn out alright.

As he stubbed out his smoke and turned off the light, he sent up a silent prayer. _Thank you, God. **Thank you**. And **please** don’t let me fuck this up. Amen_.

Author’s Note: Thanks to everyone who has been reading this – I really appreciate it! Please leave me a review and let me know what you think!


	7. Chapter 7

Andie was already seated when Steff arrived in class the next day. He grinned as he sat down next to her, noting how her smile lit up her face when she saw him.

“Good morning, Kitten. You’re here early.”

“Yeah, I wanted to **_ogle_** you some as you approached” she laughed. “Why are you calling me ‘Kitten’?”

“Someday I will confess all. However, for now I will admit to having an affinity for all things feline.”

Andie laughed. “That figures.” She reached over and ran her fingers through his hair, ruffling it a little bit as she did so. “Anyone with such a gorgeous mane of hair would have to.” Steff’s eyes widened in surprise that she would initiate any physical interaction; up til now it had been _him_ touching _her_. As her fingers caressed his scalp, he leaned slightly into the contact, prolonging the sensation, much like a cat being stroked. Andie’s fingers suddenly itched to plunge into his hair and pull him to her. A unexpected vision of Steff hovering over her, pinning her with that heavy lidded stare as she drew him down for a kiss, flooded her mind.

_Holy Shit!_

Andie’s eyes dilated with a flash of (not altogether) unexpected desire, and a blush heated her cheeks. She snatched her hand away, mortified, and stammered “Oh….um… _sorry._ ”

Steff shook his head and tutted, amusement gleaming in his eyes. “Ogling **_and_** fondling. I’m beginning to wonder if my virtue is entirely _safe_ with you.” He grinned as she narrowed her eyes, crossed her arms, and pressed her lips together, too chagrinned to come up with anything to say.

Steff leaned in and put his arm around her, nuzzling behind her left ear for a moment, then said in a low voice, “ _It’s alright Kitten, you can play in my mane anytime you want to._ ”

Andie’s eyes closed as she sharply inhaled, the thrum of Steff’s low voice causing warmth to pool deep in her belly, and some new arousal to stir. Something that stretched, unfurled and began to powerfully seek the source of its awakening. Andie unconsciously turned toward her object, desire clouding her eyes, and slowly blinked, inhaling deliberately and deeply, breathing him in.

_Oh **God** , I want to see you look at me like that every morning when we wake up together_, he thought, yearning piercing his heart so strongly it was painful.

Just then the instructor broke into their reverie by beginning class. Andie and Steff continued to hold each other’s gaze for a moment, before reality and classroom propriety began to intrude. Steff slid back to his own space, removing his arm from Andie’s shoulders, and she felt strangely bereft at its absence.

_Get it together girl! You are reading **waaaaaaaay** too much into this!_ For some reason, that stupid shampoo commercial with Kelly LeBrock popped into her head…. _“Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful”_ was the tagline of it. _Steff probably has to say that to himself every time he looks in the mirror_ , she mused. _Fucking unfair. Girls throw themselves at him 24 hours a day. He told you so himself; he doesn’t want to be anything but **friends** with you. So snap out of it! Stop making this into something it’s not!_

Andie genuinely didn’t understand that Steff didn’t give a shit about his looks. They were just there, the same way the money was just there. And pretty much to be used in the same way; they were just commodities. Steff didn’t give a shit that people saw him as a useless, pretty, rich boy; he understood that the reason people saw him this way was that he made no effort to correct their vision. And let’s face it, until recently, the perception was reality. But he cared very deeply how Andie saw him, and the understanding that he had allowed himself to sink so low that he would **_never_** be worthy of her had almost crushed him. No amount of money or good looks was ever going to change the way she felt about him; all his usual avenues of acquisition were utterly closed to him.

Prom night had been a turning point; the realization that it wasn’t **_her_** , it was **_him_** who was the problem had left him sickened and despondent. He left the dance and drove aimlessly for hours, finally stopping at a scenic overlook, where he parked and stared sightlessly up into the night sky until the sun came up. At the end of that interminably long night he was no closer to a solution than he had been when he left the dance; the whole situation was hopeless. How could he fix what was broken when it was **_him_** who was broken? It’s not like there was a store that sold replacement parts for Steff McKee. He had finally made it home shortly after sunup, lonely and miserable. As he walked through the kitchen, the McKee’s housekeeper, Blanca, who had all but raised Steff, was bustling around, making coffee. She glanced up as Steff walked in, noted his desolate expression, held her arms out and said “Baby, come here.” He began to tear up before he even reached her, sobs wracking his body as she held and consoled him. Blanca was heartbroken that the boy she loved as much as one of her own children was in such anguish, but for the first time in 5 years, she was encouraged by seeing signs of actual emotion in the beautiful blue eyes that had lately become deadened husks. Eyes numbed by a life made meaningless by parents who thought that gifts were a suitable substitute for their time and attention. A bored, spoiled existence that was well on the way to ruining her beautiful sunny little boy. Blanca held him tight as he cried his eyes out; his sorrow welling up and bursting forth in a torrent.

Blanca’s coffee had turned stone cold by the time Steff’s sobs quieted and the flow of his tears subsided to the point he could tell her what happened. She listened, not interrupting as his grief poured out, noting the way he spoke of this girl, Andie, and how she thought he was _**nothing**_. Spent at last, he looked at her, despair etched on his features, and waited for her to tell him something – **_anything_**. Blanca looked into his bloodshot eyes and tear stained face, considering. After a moment she reached out and rubbed her palm slowly over Steff’s broken heart. “ ** _My_** Steff, **_my_** precious boy, is still in here. _I see him_. He wants out. This girl Andie has given you a gift; don’t waste it. Become the man I raised you to be.”

But Andie had no way of knowing any of this. Had no idea that she had been the catalyst for Steff’s transformation. She was the spur, but not the motivation behind the alteration. Blanca’s words had grounded Steff: _Be the man I raised you to be_. Blanca had raised him better than that; he had allowed himself to be seduced by money and drugs and girls, but he was worth more than that, was raised to a higher standard than that. So while Andie saw the change, she had no inkling as to its source.

Steff noticed Andie sneaking glances at him while the history professor yammered on. He briefly considered backing off the flirting that was going on, but ultimately figured he’d have more success sprouting wings and flying. He wasn’t going to spring it on her how deeply he cared for her just yet; he was sincere when he told her he wanted them to get to know each other as friends, but not touching her, not being as physically close to her as the bounds of friendship would allow, was an impossibility. And it was becoming clear to him that she was inching closer to the day when they could move beyond just friendship. If he could just continue to maintain some restraint, the time was coming when the depth of sentiment might be mutual.

Andie was clearly not listening to the lecture; she had stopped taking notes 15 minutes ago. She was deep in concentration, a faint vertical line etched between her eyebrows, staring at the seatback in front of her. Steff leaned over and whispered “You don’t look like someone who is thinking about the Jamestown Settlement. What **_are_** you thinking about, Kitten?”

She turned the full weight of molten brown eyes on him, searing him to his core. “ ** _You_** ” she breathed.

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

**A/N:** Comments are greatly appreciated!  Please leave me a note and let me know what you think!


	8. Chapter 8

Steff blinked and swallowed hard, Andie’s piercing gaze heating his blood by several degrees. His heart hammered in his chest, drowning out the instructor’s voice. He took three deep measured breaths while trying (and failing spectacularly) to excise the image of Andie kissing him while running her hands through his hair. _Kitten, you’re **killing** me._

So intently focused on each other were they that they almost missed the instructor’s announcement; if it hadn’t been for the collective groan rising up around them, then they would have missed it entirely. Andie broke out of the reverie, glancing around, “What? What’s going on?” she asked the hairball sitting next to her. “Test Thursday” the hairball replied. “Is he kidding? We’re having a test on the 2nd day of this class?” Hairball shrugged. _Guess so_.

Andie returned her attention to Steff. Rolling her eyes she muttered, “Guess I know what **_I’ll_** be doing tonight.”

“You want to get together and study? If you can keep your hands outta my hair long enough to turn the pages, that is.” Steff asked, teasing.

Andie gave him a sideways glare, eyes narrowed and lips pursed, appearing as though she were contemplating poking him with something sharp.

Steff began to laugh, holding his hands up. “Sheath your claws, Kitten. It’s okay – you can play in my hair and **_I’ll_** turn the pages.”

Andie grinned. “Deal”

“Now for the venue. We have a variety of settings from which to choose. We can go to the library, or sit in the Student Union, or out on the Commons until it gets dark. Or we can study in your room. Or we can grab a pizza and go to my place.” Steff busied himself with closing his book and putting his things away, trying his damnedest to appear nonchalant, while studiously avoiding Andie’s gaze. _Please say my place, **please** say my place._ At last he looked at her, his eyebrows raised. _Well?_

Andie saw right through him, but wasn’t about to let him off the hook so easily. Not after how badly she had embarrassed herself by running her fingers through his hair earlier, and he still hadn’t let her up off the mat about it. If he wanted her to have dinner with him and study at his place, he was going to have to come right out and say it. “Well, you’ve enumerated some interesting choices Steff. What are your thoughts on the merits of each?”

Steff nodded, considering. “Well, if we go to the library, you won’t be able to play in my gorgeous mane, and I can tell your fingers have been itching to get back in my luxurious tresses, so that one’s probably out.” Andie rolled her eyes, shaking her head. _Get a load of this guy._

Steff blithely continued in the same vein. “We could go to the Student Union, but it will be really noisy, and frankly, you’re already so distracted by my hair, I’m afraid your studying will suffer.”

Andie gave a very unladylike snort.

Steff continued, “I suppose we could sit out on the Commons, but it will be buggy. Are you one of those outdoorsy girls, Andie? I’m gonna guess _no_. You don’t have any freckles – and if you can’t handle freckles, you can’t handle bugs. I learned that in Scouts.”

Andie was laughing outright by now. _My new favorite sound_ , Steff thought, smiling.

“That leaves your room, and you know if we go there, we’re just going to end up in your bed.”

Andie’s jaw dropped, and her eyes widened, the hilarity coming to a screeching halt. “ ** _What?_** ” she exclaimed.

Steff looked down while he casually brushed some imaginary lint off his chinos. “Well, I’m guessing that you only have one desk chair, so we’re going to have to sit on your bed.” He paused and gazed innocently up at her, going in for the kill. **_“What_** ……you thought……Why, ** _Andie!_** ” he stammered in mock outrage, “Get your mind out of the gutter!”

_Dammit! How does he keep doing this to me?_ Andie narrowed her eyes, and nodded. _Uh-huh, sure, Mister Innocent. You’re gonna pay for that._ Inwardly though, she had to admit that it was pretty funny.

“So by process of elimination, I guess the only viable option is to go to my place.” He tried not to appear too pleased.

“Well, you seem to have put a lot of thought into this. I guess I could come over; it does appear to be the best option. When do you want me there?”

_Every single minute of every single day_. “I’ll stop by your room at 4, and we’ll head out then.”

Andie nodded and stood, glancing at her watch. “I gotta jet to my next class. I’ll see you later then!”

Steff stood when Andie did, and grasped her hand, stopping her. “I just read an article in the New England Journal of Medicine that was about how human beings need like ten hugs a day just to survive, and they need like, twenty to thrive. I’m worried that you’re not thriving here at college, Andie.” he said with pseudo sincerity as he drew her to him.

“Well, if it’s for medicinal purposes only, then, okay” she laughed, stepping into his embrace and holding him tight.

“And because that’s what friends do” he added, rubbing her back and nuzzling her hair. She turned her face, smiling into his chest. _Forget twenty, I could do this a hundred times a day and it wouldn’t be enough,_ he thought. He kissed her on the head and reluctantly released her, after a ridiculous number of Mississippies.

As he watched her go, he absent-mindedly rubbed his chest, where a certain Kitten was curled up and purring around his heart.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

As they walked to Steff’s car that afternoon, Steff asked “Hey, where’s your Ghia?”

“At one of the student parking garages so far away that it’s almost easier to take the bus anywhere I want to go. I will probably only drive it on weekends.”

“Man, I love that car. I mean, the color’s awful, but aside from that, I really love your car.”

Andie was shocked. “You’re kidding. **_My_** car? This, from the guy who drives a Porsche?”

Steff shrugged. “They’re both made by Volkswagen. It’s all in the family. If I’m good, will you let me drive it sometime?”

Andie began to laugh. “Wear your sneakers. You’ll probably have to push it to get it to start. And just so you know, I’m gaining a newfound respect for your abundance of self-assurance. Not many guys would be caught dead driving a pink car.”

Steff smiled. “Maybe for Halloween we could go out dressed as Barbie and Ken, and drive around in your Barbie car.” He considered, shaking his head. “No, that’s not right. _Skipper_ was the redhead in Barbie’s world, if memory serves.”

“I’m just warning you now, do not start calling me Skipper.” She paused, mischievous gleam appearing in her eyes, “Unless you want me to call you Gilligan.”

“Don’t be silly, _Lovey_. We’re the Howell’s, of course!” Steff said, doing a very credible imitation of Thurston Howell III. Andie laughed.

They arrived at Steff’s car, and he opened the door for her, putting her books in the backseat. “Let me guess, you had a crush on MaryAnn when you were little” she said, as she sat.

“Nope” he smiled down at her as he closed her car door. He went around to his side, got in and fired up the engine. “I’m a Ginger man, all the way.” As he came to the stop sign exiting the lot, he turned the full heat of his gaze on her. “I have a deep seated, long-standing attraction to red heads.”

_**Oh.**_ Andie was suddenly feeling very warm. She could feel the force of Steff’s sapphire eyes; she couldn’t have looked away if you had held a gun to her head. Found herself powerless against the pull, couldn’t fight it, didn’t even try. Didn’t **_want_** to try. _What is **wrong** with you? Do I gotta draw you a picture? **Kiss** **me!**_ Andie released a deep breath she didn’t know she was holding, blinked, and looked away before she made a complete ass of herself.

_Kitten, stop looking at me like that_. Steff knew he was in for the fight of his life, sticking to his plan to just be friends with Andie. Currently, everything south of his belt was staging a full scale rebellion and his hormones were plotting an overthrow of his carefully thought out strategy.

They drove not speaking, listening to the radio, until a short time later they pulled up at a small L-shaped, two story apartment building. “We’re here!” Steff said brightly. “Now I know it’s probably not what you’re used to, but don’t make fun, okay?”

Andie shook her head, puzzled. “You know that’s a weird thing to say to me, of all people, right?”

Steff just smiled and helped her out of the car. “You’re my first guest!”

They ascended the stairs and Andie looked around as Steff fished his keys out of his pocket to unlock the door. It wasn’t a bad neighborhood; a little older, a little shabby, but still respectable. No hookers or drug dealers, just some young couples just starting out in life, and some older couples, finishing up. Andie could see having an apartment like this someday. Steff opened the door and stood aside for her to enter. As she stepped forward, her ankle turned and Andie stumbled sideways into Steff, almost falling.

Steff acted like the man Blanca raised him to be, and scooped Andie up in his arms and carried her, wide-eyed, across the threshold. As he kicked the door shut behind them, he whispered in her ear, “How’s **_that_** for foreshadowing?”

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Author’s note: Thank you for reading! Please leave me a review and let me know what you think!


	9. Chapter 9

“You feel a little light, Andie. Are you eating right?” Steff said easily, as he carried Andie across the living room, stopping in front of the couch, but not yet making any move to put her down.

_He just carried me across his threshold! Just like when…._

  
_**‘Foreshadowing?’** Does he mean what I **think** he means?_

Andie was astonished that Steff had scooped her up and carried her across the threshold. Her heart was hammering in her ears, as she stared at him wide-eyed. She secretly marveled at the controlled strength she could feel in his arms, and longed to run her hands up and down them, memorizing every muscle and tendon. She was so lost in his eyes and inundated with swirling emotions, that she never answered his question.

He leaned over slightly to gently set her back on her feet, slowly trailing his left hand up her hip and leaving it to grasp her waist, while his right remained around her shoulders. “Ankle okay?” a concerned note in his voice.

She blinked slowly, her left hand still resting on his shoulder, and placed her right hand, palm flattened, on his chest, where she felt his heart pounding in rhythm with her own. Her eyes were drawn there, the heat from his skin burning straight through her. His shirt was unbuttoned the top three buttons, and Andie could see the dusting of his dark blond chest hair; she ached to undo the rest of the buttons and nuzzle her face in it. Andie’s throat tightened and she swallowed hard.

_Kitten, **please** don’t look at me like that. You have **no idea** how beautiful you are. And you have no idea what you’re doing to me._ Steff wondered if Andie had the faintest clue of the power she held over him. He knew if he didn’t put this back on a platonic footing right away, he was going to blow his plan. Keep your eyes on the prize.

He gently but firmly made her sit on the couch “Here, you lie down on the couch while I get a pillow for your foot. We should get it elevated before it starts to swell.” He went into his bedroom and returned with 2 pillows, placing one under her foot, and the other behind her back.

“Steff, don’t be silly, I’m not hurt. I just stumbled; it’s no big deal.” Andie protested.

Steff leaned over her, putting his head close to hers, and lifted her chin to look up at him. “Andie, it’s okay to let someone else take care of **_you_** for once. In fact, you might be doing that someone a huge favor by letting them take care of you.”

Andie felt the sudden sting of tears threatening. No one had ever wanted to take care of her before. She nodded her assent.

Steff went to the kitchen and returned with drinks for them both. He sat on the floor in front of the couch, with his back to Andie. “Wouldn’t you be more comfortable in a chair?” she asked.

Steff looked over his shoulder at her and smiled, nonplussed. “How are you supposed to play in my hair then? Remember, I read and turn the pages, and you run your fingers through my _gorgeous_ mane. That was the deal, and I’m holding you to it.”

Andie gave a small chuckle. “Okay, but I think I’m getting the better end of the bargain here.”

Steff turned back and opened the book in his lap. “We’ll see about that. I’m a very stern taskmaster. Did I mention there will be a quiz afterwards?” Steff remarked airily.

“Oh, I’m not worried. After all, I’m known as ‘ _Kitten, the Teacher’s Pet_.’”

Steff turned back to face Andie, who was only inches away, and smiled at her tenderly, love shining from his eyes. “That, you are, Kitten. That, you are.”

Steff began to read, some boring drivel about migratory patterns of prehistoric humans. _Who writes this shit?_ he wondered. _I’ll be sure and break this out the next time I have insomnia_. He had just gotten to the part where the Neanderthals got kicked off the food chain, when he felt Andie’s fingers tentatively begin to roam through his hair. Steff’s heart **_slammed_** in his chest, the force of it causing him to pause and draw a deep breath, his eyes closing reflexively.

“Okay?” Andie asked quietly.

Steff couldn’t speak; he found himself quite incapable of conversational coherence at that moment. He nodded, thankful that Andie couldn’t see his face. He took a swallow of his drink and tried to calm down and focus on the words on the page. Andie continued to run her fingers through his hair, at times, lightly caressing his scalp, at others, more firmly pressing her fingers in, but never stopping. Steff began to lean into her hand, luxuriating in the sensation, seeking to prolong the contact. _Wow, he really **is** like a cat,_ Andie marveled. She began to periodically dip her fingers down into the collar of his shirt, to lightly trail her fingers down the back and sides of his neck and then back up again. Every time she changed from stroking his scalp to this skin-on-skin contact, Steff’s heart hammered in his chest and his eyes closed.

Steff kept reading, for who knows how long, but he had no earthly idea what the words were saying. _Good thing I don’t have to take my quiz._ Andie’s fingers grazed a particularly sensitive spot Steff didn’t even know he had, just at the juncture of the right side of his neck and shoulder, and he gave an involuntary shudder. Suddenly, Andie’s warm breath was right behind his left ear, and he felt her nuzzle him there, breathing softly, the sensation shooting straight to his groin.

**_Oh, Kitten_.** Steff’s eyes closed and rolled back in his head from this feeling of bliss.

His breathing grew ragged and labored. His knuckles grew white where he held a death grip on the history book, his fingers leaving an imprint on the pages from the force of his grasp.

Softly, deftly, Andie placed a kiss on the sensitive flesh behind his earlobe. Steff’s eyes flew wide open at the kiss, his blood surging in his veins, and all the air left his lungs in a **_whoosh_**. Andie continued to rub her nose and cheek in his hair, dragging her bottom lip up the length of his ear. As she sustained her unrelenting attentions, she whispered, “I’m ready to take that quiz now.”

Steff slammed the book closed, tossed it aside unseeingly and turned back towards Andie, on his knees, both literally and figuratively. He took her hands in his and kissed them, first one, then the other, his eyes never leaving hers. His heart was slamming in his chest, so fiercely he thought it might burst.

Andie reclined back on her pillow and Steff followed, keeping their entwined hands between them.

**_Please God, don’t let me fuck this up._ **

Steff searched Andie’s whiskey colored eyes, dilated with desire. As she looked up at him, he felt like he was on the threshold of some great precipice.

_Geronimo!_

“Question one” he started softly. “Can you forgive me for how I treated you in the past?”

“I forgive you” she answered, just as softly.

“Question two” he swallowed hard. “Do you think you could ever come to care for me as more than just a friend?”

“I already do” she smiled.

A huge weight rolled off Steff’s shoulders, and he smiled in relief. **_Yes!_** “I must say Kitten, you’re doing _very_ well on this quiz.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s due to my status as Teacher’s _Pet_ ” she grinned in return.

“Last question” he said tenderly, as he moved inexorably towards those lips that he had been dreaming about since he was 15. “Would you see me, and only me?” _for as long as we both shall live_ , he added inwardly.

Andie fell into Steff’s eyes, a feeling of deep peace settling over her. She could only characterize it as a _rightness_ , like the fitting of the final puzzle piece in place. Looking into his beautiful sparkling blue eyes, she suddenly understood; it was **_always_** Steff. Never Blane, never Duckie. They had meandered all over hell and half of Georgia to get to this moment, but the destination was never in doubt – it was her and Steff.

“ ** _Yes_** ” she breathed.

Steff’s eyes briefly closed and when he opened them he didn’t care if Andie could see that he was on the verge of tears. He unclasped one of their hands and caressed her face, gently tracing his thumb over her full bottom lip. “You don’t know how long I’ve waited to do this” he whispered, as he kissed her softly.

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.


	10. Chapter 10

It was a slow, gentle kiss. Tender and full of promise. Steff’s hands cradled Andie’s face as he lovingly met her lips. Andie’s hands slowly traveled from where they were trapped between their bodies, to snake around to Steff’s back, where she rubbed slow circles and pressed into his shoulder blades, seeking in vain to draw him closer.

Steff’s heart was full to bursting with four years of pent-up longing. The moment their lips met, he felt the connection all the way to his core, as though all his internal circuits were being brought online and lit up at once. There was an overpowering welling up of an intense _**force**_ , and he was moments away from being incapable of holding it back any longer. He poured every ounce of the love he felt for her into the kiss. The more he kissed her, the more he had to kiss her. Instead of sating his appetite for her, it only stoked the flames and fueled his growing hunger.

Andie had never had a kiss like this before in her life. A torrent of sensations was washing over her, sweeping her away. Treasured. Cherished. Adored. **_Loved_**. Up til now, it never occurred to Andie that those sentiments could even be conveyed in a kiss; this was so much more than anything she had ever imagined.

Steff sank into the kiss, his hands roaming over Andie’s face, through her hair, down her neck, her shoulders. _Stop! Stop! **Stop!**_ _You’re going to blow this!_ the tiny, still rational part of Steff’s brain screamed at him. Marshaling a restraint he didn’t know he possessed, miraculously, he heeded the tiny voice, and slowly, deftly, _disappointedly_ ended the kiss and lifted slightly to look into Andie’s dazed, passion-filled eyes.

Steff’s breathing was labored and ragged, and he exhaled deeply. “ _Kitten…_ ” he swallowed hard and shook his head regretfully, “I didn’t mean for that to happen.” At the flash of astonishment and upset in Andie’s eyes he quickly added “I have been so crazy about you for so long…. I have _never_ felt about _anyone_ the way I feel about you… but I want it to be the real deal between us.” He paused, taking a deep breath, searching her eyes and caressing her cheek with the back of his fingers. “I meant what I said about us getting to know each other. I don’t want to rush you. I want us to take our time.” He kissed her again, “I want what you feel for me to be **_real._** ” His voice broke, “Because what I feel for you is **_everything_** to me.”

At his words, Andie felt a wave of emotion wash over her, electrifying and energizing her, and filling her heart with a warmth and fullness that was staggering in its intensity. Andie smiled, relief and understanding reflected in her gaze. She nodded in agreement. “I feel a brilliant idea coming on” she softly smiled. “Every day we agree to tell the other at least one thing that no one else knows about us. That should satisfy your criteria about us getting to know each other.” She paused, a mischievous gleam in her eyes, “But in the meantime, we still get to keep kissing.”

Love shone in Steff’s eyes. “Deal.”

Andie pulled his head down to seal their bargain with another kiss. As powerful and sweet as the first.

_Oh, Kitten_.

When at last their lips parted, sometime later, Steff gazed lovingly into Andie’s eyes and smoothed her hair back from her brow. Planting small kisses on her cheeks, her jawline, her brows, her nose, he said, “I’m ready to tell you something about me that you didn’t know.”

He moved for her to be able to sit up, and moved to sit next to her on the couch. He said, “But first, I have two conditions to our arrangement.”

Andie said nothing, looking at him expectantly, her right eyebrow raised.

Steff got up and went over to the kitchen table where he scribbled something on a 3x5 notecard. He returned, sitting close enough that their shoulders were touching.

“First,” he began, “I want us both to always keep what’s on this card in mind whenever we ask the other a question. The answer may not always be what we wanted to hear, but from my side, at least, I always want you to tell me the truth. Please _always_ be honest with me. We can’t be real if we don’t tell each other the truth.” Steff exhaled and added softly “And I want more than _anything_ for this to be ** _real_**.”

He handed her the card. On it were the words: **Clean Slate**.

Andie smiled, love shining from her eyes, and nodded in agreement.

“Second, and this relates to the first condition: whenever we are asking questions of each other, I want us to hold hands.” Andie looked at him, puzzled, and waited for him to continue. He searched her eyes, “I read a research study that said that it’s practically impossible to have a fight with someone while you’re holding hands – and I don’t want to ever fight with you Andie. So I want us to hold hands.” He paused and grinned, “Plus, it’ll make it more difficult for you to take a swing at me if the impulse arises.”

Andie laughed. “For _your_ safety, I will agree to your terms.” She reached over and placed her hand in his. “So what’s the first thing I’m going to find out about Steff McKee that no one else knows?”

Steff pursed his lips and stared into the distance, considering. At last he looked at her, a small, embarrassed grin on his face. “All summer long, I sat in this apartment thinking about you, and listening to Barry Manilow’s Greatest Hits.” He winced slightly at the memory. Barry’s voice rang in his ears even now, _We’ll just go on burning bright, somewhere in the night._

Andie clapped a hand over her mouth in an effort to keep the burst of laughter from escaping, but was too late. As she gave in to the hilarity, she kissed him through her merriment. “You’re **_adorable!_** ” she exclaimed, as peals of her laughter rang out. “Hey, what can I say,” Steff shrugged, “the guy knows how to write a love song.”

As Andie’s giggles tapered off, Steff basked in the glow that her laughter had produced. This honesty stuff wasn’t half bad. Even if his admission about Barry Manilow _had_ been embarrassing as hell.

“Your turn” Steff said.

Andie thought a moment. “You remember back in 10th grade when Benny’s hair started falling out in big chunks?” she asked.

Steff nodded. “Yeah, her mom was dragging her to all these different specialists. Benny was convinced she got radiation poisoning from standing in front of an open microwave oven.” Steff rolled his eyes.

Andie shook her head. “That was me. I broke into her gym locker and mixed a little bit of Nair into her conditioner; just enough so she wouldn’t be able to smell it, but using it every day made her hair fall out bit by bit.”

Steff’s jaw dropped and he gaped at Andie in open mouthed shock. Then he threw his head back and roared laughter. “ _Oh man, you are so **evil!**_ ” he laughed. “Remind me to never piss you off!”

Andie had the good grace to look a _little_ ashamed by her actions. “You have nothing to worry about” Andie smiled as she ruffled her fingers through his hair, “Doing anything so heinous to this _gorgeous mane_ would be a crime against nature.”

“Oh, Kitten” Steff said, as he gathered her in his arms. “We are going to have such a good time, you and I.” He kissed her temple and sighed happily as Andie snuggled into his side, fitting there as though God made her just for him. If there were a more perfect moment, Steff couldn’t imagine what it could be.


	11. Chapter 11

The pizza was consumed, and they had both had enough of studying, so they cuddled on the couch and talked, while Barry Manilow crooned in the background. Nodding toward the stereo, Steff said, “See what a tortured soul I was?”

Andie grinned, nodding, “Yeah, the torture part I get. What I don’t understand is, was the music _part_ of the torture, or meant to alleviate it?”

Steff chuckled. “Seeing as you’re new to the intricacies of an anguish-enhanced orchestral experience, I’m gonna let that one slide.”  He gave her a sweet kiss.  “What kind of music do you like, Kitten? Wait, let me guess. You’re looking to get a hand on a member of Duran-Duran.”

Andie smiled and kissed him in return, “That’s **_Mrs_**. Simon LeBon, to you, buddy.”

_Oh, I’ll be calling you **Mrs.** one day, but your last name isn’t gonna be LeBon_. Steff said nothing in response to her Duran-Duran declaration, just smiled down at her and kissed her on the nose.

“It might surprise you to know I’m a card carrying member of the KISS army.” Andie said primly. Steff began to laugh, and then couldn’t stop. He found the idea of Andie head-banging to KISS to be adorable. “You _are_ full of surprises, aren’t you?” he said at last when his laughter subsided. She smiled, and said “Trust me, there was no end to the amount of shit Duckie would give me about what he called my abysmal taste in music.”

Steff grinned, a far-away look in his eyes. “Ah yes, **_Duckie_**.” He gave a small chuckle. “Dude jumped me right before school ended and went all ninja on my ass. Mr. Jenkins had to pull him off of me.” Steff shook his head in remembrance, “ ** _So_** embarrassing.” He paused, and said in mock outrage, “ _He hit my hair!_ ”

Andie sat up abruptly, shock registering on her features. “So that was **_true?_** ”

Steff nodded, an amused look on his face. “Oh yeah, true story. So how is the Duckman these days? Next time you see him, tell him I really liked the jacket he wore to prom. And the Bolo tie. Not everyone can pull that look off. Takes some sartorial cojones.”

Andie blinked rapidly. She was still trying to wrap her mind around Steff admitting that Duckie had beat him up. “He never said why the two of you were fighting.”

All lightheartedness fell from Steff’s face. He inhaled deeply. “He was being principled, and defending the honor of the woman he loved.” he said somberly. _Oh, Christ, here we go._ He glanced down. _Don’t let go of my hand, Kitten._

Andie stared down at their entwined hands. _Clean slate, clean slate, clean slate,_ she thought. “What happened?” she asked quietly, not taking her eyes off their hands.

“Look at me, Kitten” Steff said tenderly, as he gently lifted her chin to meet his eyes. He began. “It was right after Blane broke your date to prom, and he heard me telling Blane that I thought you were nothing, had always been nothing, and would always _be_ nothing, and that he was better off without you.” Steff took a deep breath, his eyes never leaving hers. He was determined to face the music and own up to what a fucking asshole he had been. If Andie didn’t know the truth, then whatever they had, or would have in the future, would be based on a lie – it wouldn’t be real.

Andie glanced away, unshed tears stinging her eyes. She wasn’t upset about him saying that to Blane; she didn’t give a shit what that pussy thought about her. She was hurt about him saying it about her. She considered for a moment. “Did you really feel that way about me Steff?”

Steff reached and caressed Andie’s cheek with his free hand until she met his eyes. “Oh, Andie, _no, **never**_ ” he said, shaking his head emphatically, his eyes full of remorse, coupled with the love he felt for her. “I was **_crushed_** with unrequited love for you, Kitten.” He took a deep breath. “It doesn’t change what I did. Doesn’t excuse it, or make it any better. But I said those horrible things, not because I really felt that way about you, but because I was _dying_ inside. You _hated_ me and I couldn’t figure out how to change that. The only thing I _could_ do was make sure that if I couldn’t have you, then Blane couldn’t either. Seeing you choose _him_ , when you couldn’t even stand to be _seen_ with me, **_killed_** me. So I pressured him to break up with you.”

Steff was silent for a minute, letting Andie absorb all that. _At least she hasn’t let go of my hand_. After a moment he continued, “So, Duckie overheard me, and came after me like a man possessed. Your avenging angel.”

Andie nodded, closing her eyes, and breathing steadily for a moment. _Clean slate, clean slate, clean slate_. She opened her eyes to find Steff searching hers.

“First test, Kitten” he said softly. “Make or break.”

Andie stared at him for a long moment, before squaring her shoulders and straightening her spine. She was made of stronger stuff than this, and she wasn’t going to throw away a chance at something real and meaningful, because of hurt feelings over something in the past that had already been apologized for.

She gave a gentle smile and squeezed his hand; _his hand that she had never once let go of_.

“Make” she nodded, her eyes showing forgiveness.

_Oh thank God!_ Steff let out the breath he hadn’t known he’s been holding, and smiled in relief, gathering her in his arms and holding her tight.

“And you were right” she said, smiling against his chest. “That holding hands thing really does work.” She paused, “Next time, maybe you and Duckie should try it.”

Steff began to laugh, and Andie joined in. Steff kissed her on the forehead. _I love you so much Kitten_ , he thought.

Andie inhaled deeply and looked up into Steff's eyes.  _Might as well get the rest of this over with_. “You remember that party at your house?” she asked.

Steff grimaced at the memory. “Ugh, that fucking party. What a disaster.”

Andie nodded. “I begged Blane not to take me there, but he didn’t listen.”  Steff rolled his eyes – _typical_. Andie continued. “When we showed up at your room, why did you pretend like we had never met?”

Steff drew a deep breath and rubbed his free hand over his face. “ _Man._ You really want to get all this shit out of the way, don’t you? **_Okay_** ….” He paused before continuing, “I was so stunned when I saw you in my house, _with_ **_him_** …. I felt like I had been kicked in the guts, I felt like I was gonna throw up. I couldn’t let him know that I knew you, and had been striking out with you for _years_. Seeing you in my house, with my best friend, well, it just _broke my heart_. I was just really hurt, Andie. And doing a crap job of covering up.”

“Coulda fooled me” Andie said, shaking her head.

“Let me ask you a question then. Why didn’t _you_ tell Blane that we already knew each other?”

Andie opened her mouth to answer, but then closed it with a snap. Why _hadn’t_ she told Blane that she and Steff already knew one another? Andie considered for a minute, her head cocked, thinking it over. “Because” she started slowly, “my feelings were really hurt that you wouldn’t even admit to knowing me. I thought that must have meant that you thought I was nothing but trash, and that you were ashamed of having spoken to me.” She paused before continuing, “So I wasn’t going to give you the satisfaction of embarrassing me, if I said that we already knew each other; I thought you would act like I was so insignificant that you couldn’t even remember speaking to me.” She went on, “And it really hurt my feelings that Blane’s best friend wouldn’t even admit to knowing me.”

“I’m sorry, Kitten.”

Andie shook her head and waved her hand, dismissing it. “Clean slate”, she smiled. “However, if I ever run into Benny again, don’t count on me holding her hand while we hash things out.”

Steff laughed, kissing her.

“If it makes you feel any better, I did have a bit of a crush on you when I first met you” Andie admitted.

Steff’s eyes flew wide open. **_“What?_** ”

“Yeah, I thought you were the most beautiful boy I had ever seen in my life. It was pretty much love at first sight.” Andie smiled, remembering.

“I don’t understand.” Steff blinked rapidly. “What happened?”

Andie chuckled. “Well, then you started talking, and it was pretty much over.”

Steff sat in stunned silence, absorbing that. Then he began to laugh, shaking his head. When at last his laughter began to taper off, he kissed Andie. “Thank you, sweetheart.”

“For what?” she asked, kissing him in return.

He gazed tenderly into her eyes. “For being everything I ever wanted. And for giving me the chance to be worthy of you.” They kissed for long moments. “You won’t be sorry. I won’t ever let you down again, Kitten.”

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

A/N: Thank you for reading!  As always, I would love to hear what you think, so please leave a review!


	12. Chapter 12

The first few weeks of school flew by, and Andie and Steff fell into an easy routine. On the evenings that Steff was off they would get together in the library and study, or decamp to Steff’s place and study and hang out. They continued to make various discoveries about each other, each puzzle piece adding to the overall picture that was forming. Steff was good to his word of taking things slow, and even though he spent every waking moment in a near constant state of arousal, he never let things progress past some _very_ fevered kisses. Often times he would have a death grip on Andie’s hips, holding on for dear life lest he give into the temptation to let his hands roam free, learning every dip and curve of her body. However he was determined that he would never pressure Andie into making love; he was resolved to never bring it up at all; if their relationship ever developed to the point where they wanted to add a more physical bond between them, it would have to be her idea. And of course, she wasn’t blind, she knew the effect she had on him. There were times when they pulled away from each other, both so intoxicated with desire that it was many minutes before pulses and respiration rates returned to normal. This type of passion was all new to Steff; he had never had a girlfriend that hadn’t also turned into a full-fledged lover within a few days, and he found this deliberate, excruciatingly arousing, slow burn, to be the most erotic experience of his life. He was content to let the physical aspect of their relationship play out in its own good time; he had never been so in love, or felt so connected to another human being in his life. He couldn’t imagine how this perfection could be improved upon.

As they sat on the couch listening to the radio and talking one night, Steff mentioned that he thought that The Beach Boys were possibly the most underrated band in American rock and roll. “Good Vibrations is a masterpiece. I can’t even conceive of the kind of mind that could come up with those harmonies.” He took a drink of his soda and continued, “Although, of course _now_ they need a name change. They’re more like ‘The Beach Old Men’ at this point.” Andie laughed. She was in a perpetual state of delight, puzzling out how Steff’s mind worked. He was interested in _everything_ ; he knew all kinds of stuff about things she had never even heard of, and she never tired of listening to him talk. _If I had known he was this interesting, I would have talked to him years ago,_ she thought. And he was incredibly funny; witty, with a very dry, cerebral sense of humor, but quirky and goofy too. Not for the first time, Andie felt regret that they had wasted so much time at the beginning of their acquaintance.

“I’m more of a Pink Floyd girl, myself” Andie admitted.

Steff nodded, reflecting, “ _Man_ , did I spend a lot of time stoned, listening to them.” Steff shook his head sadly, looking at Andie. He tucked a stray curl behind her ear. “I wasted a lot of time before you, Kitten.” He glanced down, then back up to meet her eyes. “That song, ‘Comfortably Numb’ pretty much sums up my existence until I moved out of my parent’s house” he added off-handedly.

Andie sat forward, her head cocked, studying him closely. She reached to grasp his hand, and stared into his eyes concernedly. “Wanna tell me why you were so unhappy?”

Steff’s eyebrows raised in surprise. “Caught that, did you?” He gave a small laugh. “Impressive powers of perception, you have there, Kitten.” He took another swallow and sighed. “I was really, _really_ lonely as a kid. I remember one time when I was in first grade, my parents went out of town and I was terrified that they would forget all about me and never come home. Thank God for Blanca.”

“Who’s Blanca?”

“She’s our housekeeper. Although, she’s really more like my second mother. She always had time for me when my parents didn’t. She practically raised me; used to take me home with her at night a lot, back to her house and her kids. I never thought much of it at the time, but now, looking back on it, I think it was because my folks would just go out for dinner, or whatever, and leave me at home alone. They never got me a sitter.” He shook his head, remembering, “This one time, they were out all night and it was storming like hell. I was like, seven or eight, and home all by myself. I was terrified. Blanca found me in my closet the next morning, under a bunch of pillows, sleeping, clutching a butcher knife.”

Andie’s lips were pressed tightly together, her heart aching for the scared, lonely little boy, and overwhelmed with the urge to punch his parents.

“Anyway, after that, anytime my parents were going out for the evening, Blanca would wait til they left and say “Get your jammies, Steffy! Pajama party at my house!” Steff laughed, shaking his head. “I’m not certain that she ever even asked their permission – just took me home with her and then would bring me back when she came to work the next morning.” He added quietly, “They probably never even missed me.”

Steff suddenly found himself with a lapful of Andie, her arms thrown around him, hugging him tight, a few tears escaping from her tautly closed eyes. Steff’s heart filled with a pervasive warmth, marveling that she would be so affected by something that had happened to him so long ago. No one but Blanca had really ever cared about him, cared about how he felt or what he was going through. _I could get used to this_ , he thought.

Andie held him, melting into his embrace. At last she pulled back, and cradled his face in her hands. Looking deeply into his eyes, she whispered “I am _so_ sorry that happened to you.” Then a fierce glow manifested in her eyes as she shook her head emphatically, “I would _never_ do that to my child.”

Steff’s mind was immediately filled with a vision of Andie, her belly full, heavy with his child, smiling up at him as his large hand rubbed her stomach, possessively. A powerful protective sensation flooded his senses – like a lion stalking forward to face down a threat to his pride.

Steff’s eyes grew wide. _Whoa, where did **that** come from?_ He blinked rapidly to try and clear the vision, but the feelings that it had provoked, lingered. He drew a sharp breath and exhaled deeply.

Casting about, trying to recall the thread of conversation, at last he picked it back up. “So, yeah, lonely kid. Fast forward a few years, and lonely kid is now almost crippled with shyness.” Steff couldn’t bring himself to hold Andie’s gaze, so painful was this admission. “So, in order to look much cooler than he ever feels, and to cover up a lot of anxiety, he starts drinking and getting high. And wouldn’t you know it, if you’re willing to buy all the drugs, and steal all your parents liquor, you’ll shortly find yourself with more “friends” than you know what to do with.” He met her eyes again at last and saw in them deep sorrow for the lonely, scared kid he had been.

Andie stared intently into his eyes. “Your story could just as easily have been mine” she started. “My mom took off the summer before 8th grade.” She slowly nodded her head, continuing, “She left me and my dad, and I’ve never seen her since.”

Steff’s eyes grew wide with concern. “Oh, _Kitten_ , I’m so sorry” he whispered, pulling her close. They embraced, breathing in the comfort the other was offering, for several minutes. Andie tried really hard not to cry, but wasn’t terribly successful. As she sat back up and wiped away her tears, she said “The only reason my life didn’t take the turn yours did was because my dad was so wrecked that if I didn’t take over being the grown-up, we wouldn’t have made it.”

Steff ran his fingers through Andie’s hair, moving it back from her eyes. Looking at her tear stained face, he felt as though his heart were being squeezed in a vice. He slowly shook his head and whispered “How could she _do_ that to you?” He wiped her tears, and brought her back to hold her tightly, “I would _never_ do that to my child.” Still wrapped in his embrace, Andie nodded and sniffed. “Looks like we both have some sterling examples of how _not_ to parent” and gave a small laugh as she sat back up.

“Yeah, I’m not sure that there shouldn’t be some sort of qualifying exam to become a parent” he said. At Andie’s quizzical look, he shrugged, “Well they make you take test to be able to drive a _car_ , and I think fucking up a little kid is a bit more important than knowing the right-turn-on-red rules.” Andie smiled, and then began to giggle. Steff smiled in return. “When I’m running the world, things will be different!” Andie laughed harder at this grandiose proclamation, the tension from the conversation melting away. _You have no idea how crazy I am about you_ , she thought.

“So whaddya say, Kitten. Wanna grab a movie?” he asked, kissing her jawline, steadily working his way to her neck.

Andie closed her eyes, her head dropping back, baring her neck to him. Andie inhaled raggedly as he slowly kissed his way down to her collarbone, her thighs squeezing reflexively. _Felt_ ** _that_** , Steff smiled inwardly, his ego (as well as other things) swelling with the effect his ministrations were having on her.

Andie’s hands were running through Steff’s mane, holding him close. She brought his face back up to hers to kiss him, slowly sucking on his lower lip before meeting his tongue with her own. She then deliberately kissed her way along his jawline to nuzzle behind his ear before lightly taking his earlobe between her lips and gently suckling on it.

**_Christ!_** Steff inhaled sharply, the sensation shooting straight to his groin.

_Felt **that**_ **,** Andie smiled inwardly.

“What do you feel like seeing?” Andie murmured breathily in his ear.

_Wait. No. What?_ It took Steff a minute to remember what they had been talking about. _Oh, yeah. Movie._ Steff took a deep breath and tried to clear his head. Andie wasn’t helping matters by looking at him like she wanted to eat him up with a spoon, while unbuttoning his shirt to run her fingers through his chest hair.

He grabbed her hands, kissing her into momentary submission; he had to move quickly, because the submission never lasted for long. At last he pulled back, noting with no small amount of male pride, the dazed look in her eyes and her heated cheeks.

“How about a chick flick?” he asked.

She raised her left eyebrow. “Chick flick? Really?”

Steff nodded. “Let’s go see Aliens.”

Andie scoffed, “I think you mis-read the review. Aliens is _not_ a chick flick.”

Steff smiled. “Bet me.”

Andie’s eyes narrowed, considering. “What do I get when I win?”

Steff laughed, “Whatever you want, Kitten, because I won’t be losing this bet.”

Andie considered. _“When_ I win, I would like you to kiss and make up with Duckie.”

Steff nodded. “Deal.”

It never occurred to Andie to ask what Steff would get if he won the bet.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Now leave me a review! Please and Thank You!


	13. Chapter 13

They sat in the theater as the lights came up. “See? Chick Flick, all the way” Steff asserted. “Now pay up.”

Andie sputtered in protest, “ _What?_ Are you crazy? In what cartoon universe was that a chick flick?”

Steff looked smug. “In _all_ of them, Kitten.” He leaned over and kissed her.

Andie looked skeptical, nodding and raising her right eyebrow. “Okay. Dazzle me – I await your brilliance.” Under her breath she muttered, “This oughta be good.”

Steff popped the lapels of his jacket, and dusted off his sleeves – _Evidently, brilliance requires a certain sartorial elegance to be effective,_ Andie amusedly noted. “Okay Kitten, prepare to lose this bet.” He began, “’Aliens’ is all about motherhood, and you can’t _get_ more ‘chick flick’ than that. Ripley loses her daughter because she’s been floating around out in space for a zillion years, and then she finds another daughter, Newt, who, as luck would have it, is missing a mother. Meanwhile, the Alien is actually like a Queen Ant, and _she’s_ the mother of all the other Aliens on the planet. So then we have an epic battle between these two mothers as to whose offspring are going to survive.” He raised his eyebrows. _See?_ “Chick flick. Pay up.”

Andie rolled her eyes, objecting, “Chick flicks are about girls, romance, love, _hot guys_.”

Steff’s eyes widened comically as he nodded in mock seriousness, “I _just_ realized you’re the star of your own real life chick flick.”

Andie snorted, then began to giggle, “Yes, okay, just like my real life. And just like my real life, chick flicks do not have shit blowing up in them and a ridiculously high body count.”

“Exception to every rule, Kitten” Steff said lazily, examining his fingernails. He added, “It _has_ to be a chick flick – it had a cat fight and everything.”

They looked at each other, and simultaneously exclaimed, “ _Get away from her, you **bitch!** ”_

Steff stood, laughing and held out his hand to help Andie to her feet. He draped an arm around her and kissed her on the cheek. “ ** _And_** ,” he added, “the baddest of the bad ass Marines was also a chick. So, see? A total chick flick from start to finish. I rest my case.” He paused, then added facetiously, “You may now kneel before Zod.” They walked arm in arm out of the theater and back into the lobby.

“That is **_so weird_** ” Andie commented, cocking her head and studying him closely. “Nerds aren’t usually as pretty as you are.”

Steff threw back his head and laughed. Steff was astonished to discover how much _fun_ he had with Andie; it seemed like they never really went anywhere, or did anything to speak of, but they had _so much_ fun together. He pulled her close and kissed her. “Kitten, I **_adore_** you. But just cuz I let you sweet talk me and tell me how pretty I am, do not think I’m going to let you off the hook with paying up. A bet’s a bet.”

Andie laughed and nodded towards the Ladies restroom, “After I get back, we can negotiate terms.” She gave him a short, sweet kiss and went in.

_Meanwhile, across the lobby…….._

Jennifer Stiles was sick to death of listening to Benny bitching about her mother. All she wanted to do was enjoy the joint she smoked on the way to the theater, and watch a movie and forget about her research paper that she hadn’t started yet, which was due on Monday. But, ** _noooooooo,_** stupid, fucking Benny was harshing her buzz with her non-stop yapping about her mom. _**Christ** , why the hell won’t she shut up?_ Jennifer wondered, a plastic sympathetic smile plastered on her face. As Benny continued yapping, Jennifer’s eyes wandered across the snack bar menu. _How much popcorn can I have before I retain so much water that they’ll have to stamp **‘Goodyear’** across my ass,_ she pondered. _Fuck it, I’m having a large – I have the munchies. Maybe if I offer some to Benny, she’ll shut the hell up._ Jennifer nodded, pretending to listen to Benny, as she looked around the theater lobby.

Across the way, Jen’s eye was caught by Steff McKee, who appeared to be waiting for someone. Seeing her opportunity to change the subject, and to exact a little unsuspecting revenge for having the shit annoyed out of her, Jen interrupted Benny’s diatribe. “So, Benny, I never did hear what the story was with you and Steff breaking up.”

Benny’s eyes narrowed, still pissed about the whole episode. “Faggot broke up with me on prom night. Sends me up to the room he rented, and then ditches me.”

“So why’d he break up with you?” Jennifer asked.

**_“As if!_** I totally dumped **_him!_** ” Benny exclaimed, evidently forgetting that she had just admitted he broke up with her, not two seconds before.

“Okay…. Then why’d you break up with him?”

“Because he’s a **_faggot._** ” Benny sneered. Elucidation was not Benny’s strong suit.

Jennifer rolled her eyes and laughed. She nodded in Steff’s direction, “Isn’t that him over there?”

Benny whirled around, an unholy gleam blazing in her eyes. “ _Yes_ ” she hissed, eyes narrowing.

Jennifer blithely suggested “You should go over and say hi. I’ll just go in and get our seats.” _That oughta get me a few minutes of peace and quiet_ , she thought. She made her escape. _Good luck, Steff! Better you than me!_

Benny flipped her hair, and stalked her way across the lobby, making plans to take Steff out to her car, fuck his brains out, and then dump him.

Steff’s back was turned to Benny, while he read the Coming Attractions posters. Unexpectedly, a chill ran up his spine, and the hair stood up on the back of his neck.

“ _Hello, Steff”_ Benny purred.

**Oh hell**. Steff winced. He remembered that spite filled voice well. Steff turned slowly to face her, boredom reflecting in his eyes. “Oh, hey Benny.” He turned back and continued to read the poster, ignoring her as though their meeting was commonplace.

Benny emitted a short bark of laughter, “Oh, _**Hey**_? That’s all I get?”

Steff turned back to face her again. He really did not want to do this. _What the hell did I ever see in you_ , he wondered. “What do you want, Benny?” he asked flatly.

Benny took a step closer to him, and looked up at him seductively. “I’ve forgiven you for prom night Steff. I’m all ready to kiss and make up” her eyes flashed.

Steff swallowed, feeling nauseated, and backed up a step. “I’ll pass” he answered, making no effort to hide the tedium in his voice.

She continued to advance. “Oh come on Steffy, don’t be like that. You know you never had anyone better in bed than me. Remember all the things I used to do to you?” she pouted. “All the things we used to do to _each other?_ ”

Steff rolled his eyes. “Yes, and after extensive therapy, and bleaching my eyeballs once a week, I’ve managed to forget most of it. _Thank God_. Now seriously, go away.”

Benny stepped right into him, hooked a finger inside the waistband of his jeans and dragged a manicured nail down his shirtfront. “Not a chance, lover. Come on, my car’s right outside.”

A sudden movement out of the corner of his eye caught Steff’s attention. A redheaded ball of fury was about to descend on Benny and unleash the wrath of God. Steff watched in amazement as Benny was whirled around, in wide-eyed shock, and dragged by the hair in an about-face, to see Andie standing there, chest heaving, rage blazing in her eyes.

“ _Get away from him, you **bitch!”**_ Andie growled, as her fist connected with Benny’s expensive nose, which her parents had only recently finished paying for. Benny crumpled, wailing in pain, as blood spurted from her nose. Andie lunged at Benny again, snarling, “Next time I’ll tear all your hair out myself – I won’t wait for Nair to do the trick!” Steff stepped in, and under, Andie, picking her up and tossing her over his shoulder in a fireman’s hold, and began walking briskly towards the exit, as Andie continued her profanity laced threats to Benny’s future noses.

By the time he got to the car Andie had quieted, breathing heavily. He gently set her down and gingerly took her hand, as she winced in pain. “Gonna need to get some ice on that, Slugger.” He looked at her solemnly for a minute, then burst out laughing, unable to hold it in any longer. _God, I love you so much_ , he thought. After a moment Andie began to laugh too, marginally embarrassed for acting like such a maniac. _Bitch had it coming,_ she thought.

Steff held her tight and kissed her through their laughter, remarking with a small measure of awe, “At least Duckie didn’t break my nose.”

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.


	14. Chapter 14

Steff came back from the kitchen carrying a tray and whistling the opening trumpet fanfare from “Rocky”. Andie pressed her lips together and narrowed her eyes at the musical Rocky reference, but said nothing. He set the tray down on the coffee table and said “How’s that paw feeling there, Kitten?”

Andie grimaced, looking at her bruised and swollen knuckles. “Hurts. A lot.”

Steff nodded, “Wages of sin” he observed cheerfully, grinning at her.

Andie opened her mouth to say something, then closed it with a snap. After a moment she remarked, “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

**_“Tremendously!”_ ** Steff agreed, smiling good naturedly. He sat down next to her and gave her a kiss. “I’ve never had a girl fight to defend my honor before.” He chuckled, “I’m not gonna lie, it feels pretty great!” he gushed, beaming in delight.

Andie bemusedly rolled her eyes, then directed her attention to the items on the tray. Steff picked up the ice pack and gingerly placed it on top of her hand. “Gonna need to leave that there for a while, sweetheart.” He then handed her a glass of water. She took a swig. “What’s that?” nodding towards the pill Steff held in his hand.

“I had a Tylenol 3 with codeine left over from when I had my wisdom teeth removed. You might want to take it, because in another couple of hours your hand is gonna hurt like hell.” He paused. “However, if you decide to take it I want you to sleep here tonight so I can keep an eye on you.”

Andie’s eyebrows shot up and she began to choke on the sip of water she was swallowing.

Steff waited until she was done choking to add quietly, “Andie, I hope you know by now that you can trust me not to take advantage of you.” He smoothed her hair back from her face, “I just want to take care of you. Make sure you’re okay.” He added smiling, “After all, you did keep me from being sexually assaulted at the Cineplex. You’re kind of my _hero_.”

Andie snorted, then laughed. “Okay, but if I spend the night, where am I going to sleep?”

Steff smiled, “My bed, of course. I’ll take the couch.” He stared off in the distance, considering, “You probably snore really loudly anyway. I’d never get any rest being in there with you” he remarked lightly.

Andie’s eyes narrowed. “Yes. I snore like a freight train. Sure you want to risk it? I know how important your beauty sleep is to you.” The throbbing of her hand was starting to make her cranky.

Steff caressed her face fondly and kissed her, communicating that he had just been joking around. “Kitten, please stay. Let me look after you.” Andie’s annoyance melted away, as she basked in the feeling of Steff being there for her. She had never been able to depend on anyone before – being able to trust him to take care of her was a huge step forward for her.

Andie kissed him and agreed to take the pain killer and spend the night. Steff went to his room and returned with a pair of boxers and a t-shirt. “I’m sure these aren’t as cute as the pajamas you normally wear, but I’m also 100 per cent sure that you’re going to be loads cuter in them than I am.” Andie went into the bathroom and changed, her hand screeching in pain all the while. She almost had to call Steff to help her out of her jeans, but finally managed to struggle out of them on her own. She kept her panties on under Steff’s boxers, but ditched her bra to sleep in his t-shirt. As she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she was pleasantly surprised by what she saw. The shirt was huge on her of course, but she had to admit that the boxers made her legs and her butt look pretty good. She gathered up the shirt on the side and tied a knot in it, shortening and tightening it so it wouldn’t be dragging like a dress. Plus, now you could really see her ass. She bent over to retrieve her clothes off the bathroom floor and found herself a little dizzy when she stood back up. _Pain killer is kicking in, thank God. That bitch Benny has got one fucking hard head._

Andie carried her stuff back out to the living room where Steff was sitting on the couch. As she entered the room, Steff glanced up at her and _felt_ all the blood in his body rush south. All he could see were Andie’s impossibly long legs, topped off by his boxers, which clung snugly to her perfectly heart shaped bottom, and his t-shirt draped fetchingly across her breasts, outlining them, imprinting them indelibly upon his memory. His mouth went dry, and his throat (as well as his jeans) tightened painfully. Every nerve ending in his body was focused on Andie, his eyes devouring her. _Oh **Christ** , what have I gotten myself into?_

“Where do you want me to put these?” Andie asked as she stood looking around the room. One of her shoes fell off the stack of clothes in her arms, and she turned around and bent over to pick it up. _Slowly_.

Steff was having a heart attack. Maybe a stroke, he couldn’t really be sure. He definitely wasn’t breathing, he knew that much.

Andie leaned over one of the kitchen table chairs facing away from Steff and set her things down in it. As she was bent over the chair, she glanced back over her shoulder and asked innocently, “Is here okay?”

The view from the couch was more than okay, Steff’s boxers were perfectly showcasing Andie’s ass, snug in all the right places. He couldn’t disengage his eyes long enough to spare any brain cells to formulate a response; speech was beyond him for the time being. He couldn’t articulate past all the throbbing that was going on. _Does she even know what she’s doing to me?_

Andie made her way back to the couch, weaving slightly, and put the ice pack back on her hand. “ _Ooooh_ , that feels good” she purred. The sound of her voice shot straight to Steff’s groin, ramping up his desire. _Kitten, you’re **killing** me_. Andie cuddled up next to him and extended one of her long, bare legs across his lap. This only made Steff think about how it would feel to have them wrapped around his waist. A vision of Andie, her legs wrapped around him, her head thrown back in abandonment as he entered her, **_slammed_** into him and robbed him of breath.

His chest heaving, he all but bolted off the couch. “Kitten, will you be okay while I go grab a quick shower?” _I’ve got to get out of here_ , Steff thought. He grabbed her a pillow and covered her with a blanket. He kissed her forehead and said “I’ll be right back, okay?” She nodded, sleepily.

Fifteen minutes later, Steff emerged from the shower, having taken a little of the edge off. But let’s face it, he was a healthy 19 year old young man, and any edge that was taken off was not going to last for long. In fact, he took one look at Andie, relaxed and cuddled up on his couch, and the desire came roaring back as though he hadn’t taken any measures to alleviate it. She smiled up at him drowsily, “I **_adore_** you, you know that?” Steff smiled down at her and helped her up. Steff steadied her as she stood up, weaving slightly. He gazed lovingly into her eyes and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. “I ** _adore_** you too, Kitten.” _I love you so much, it’s killing me not to tell you._ “C’mon sweetheart. We need to get you tucked into bed.”

He got her settled in and kissed her goodnight. “If you need anything, I’ll be right out there on the couch.”

Andie got an alarmed look on her face. “Will you stay with me? Please?”

Steff looked at her, puzzled. “You want me to sit with you til you fall asleep?”

Andie huffed, blowing her hair out of her eyes. “ ** _No._** I want you to sleep here with me. In your bed.”

Steff considered. _Holy hell, she’s going to kill me before the night is over. And she doesn’t even realize what she’s doing to me._

“Okay” he paused. “But you have to behave yourself. **_Just_** sleeping. Deal?”

“Deal” she smiled, yawning.

Steff turned out the light and crawled into bed. For propriety’s sake, and because he had another raging erection that wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon, he placed a pillow between them at waist level. Andie grabbed his arm and dragged it around her, pulling him with it, into spooning her. She wriggled and nestled around until she got situated, safely and warmly ensconced in Steff’s arms.

_I’m in heaven_ , they each thought.

“Good night, Kitten. Sweet dreams.”

Andie squeezed his arm that was around her, and burrowed deeper against him. “Sweet dreams, baby” she murmured.

Steff waited until he was sure she was asleep, her breathing slow and steady. He gently kissed her behind her ear and whispered “ _I love you, Kitten._ ”

Andie smiled.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think!


	15. Chapter 15

The rumble of thunder and the steady pour of rain seeped its way into Steff’s consciousness. A cold front had blown in overnight and it was chilly in the apartment. Steff opened one eye and could see that it was daylight, but it was that darkened daylight you get when the sky is covered in black clouds.

_Perfect_ , he thought, burrowing deeper under the covers and pulling Andie closer to him as he fell back asleep. He nuzzled his face in her hair, breathing her in and tightening his hold on her. In response, she wriggled back into him, pressing into him and nestling deeper in his arms, falling deeper into the slumber that only comes when you are safe and warm, and deeply in love.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Andie slowly roused several hours later, the slow and steady beating of Steff’s heart thrumming in her ear, as she found herself curled against Steff, her head on his chest, and his arm around her, holding her in place. She inhaled deeply, and stretched, moving the covers as she ran her hand over his chest, trailing her fingers through his chest hair and following the line down his abdomen where it disappeared into his pajama bottoms. Her gaze was then drawn to Steff’s extremely tented pajama bottoms, and her eyes grew wide. Andie had no experience with waking up in a man’s arms, and she was alternately alarmed and fascinated by what she saw. _So **that’s** what Duckie meant by ‘Morning Missile’_ , she realized.

Andie was startled out of her musings by the sound of Steff’s voice. “I can _feel_ you ogling me again, Kitten” he said, an amused note in his sleep roughened voice.

Andie dropped the covers as she grinned shamefacedly, a blush heating her cheeks. “ _Busted!_ ” she whispered happily, as his arms tightened around her, pulling her further into his embrace. She kissed her way up his neck, her free hand roaming over his chest, her fingers halting over the flat disc of his nipple. She began to gently pluck it, rolling it between her thumb and forefinger, causing it to harden and pebble. Steff inhaled sharply, his breathing becoming ragged, his fingers digging into her hip in response. As she marveled at the sensations she was causing in the both of them, Andie continued the journey up his neck to his earlobe, which she took gently between her teeth to suckle. Steff’s eyes rolled back in his head as he uttered a soft groan – the sound rocketing straight to Andie’s core, as his hips lifted reflexively, seeking contact. After a moment she pulled back, looking into his sleep heavy eyes, so impossibly sensual and filled with desire her breath caught. _I want to see you look at me like that every morning for the rest of my life_ , she thought.

Steff deliberately pulled her to him, kissing her purposively as he rolled easily on top of her, her legs moving instinctively to cradle him. His hips thrust involuntarily into her center as he deepened their kiss. Andie inhaled sharply, her body tensing as her senses became flooded and overwhelmed with the arousal Steff was causing. Steff could feel the change in her and pulled back, ending their kiss, watching as Andie’s eyes flew open, where he could see desire warring with uncertainty.

He rested his weight on his elbows, looking down into her eyes. “Talk to me, Kitten” he said softly, concern coloring his features. He eased off of her, coming to rest beside her, leaving one of his legs entwined in hers, as he rested his head on his hand, staring down at her. Steff caressed her face with his free hand as he searched her eyes, panic setting in. _Oh Christ, no. **Please** God, **no.** Don’t let me have fucked this up_ , he prayed fervently.

Andie’s breathing was labored as she struggled to calm down and form a coherent thought. She took a deep breath and focused on the love and concern she saw shining in Steff’s eyes, and gradually calm crept in. She blinked slowly and exhaled. She took another deep breath. “I’m sorry” she began, “I just….” her voice trailed off. She began again, more determinedly, “I’ve never….” She swallowed, and rolled her eyes, now in a haste to get it out and be done with it. “I’ve never _been_ with anyone before, and it was just…” she paused, inhaling deeply, “it was just kind of overwhelming there for a minute.”

Steff became utterly still, every fiber of his being zeroing in on absorbing what she had just told him.

_A virgin. Andie is a **virgin**_. Steff could feel it as his entire world shifted and rotated on its axis, rendering him a new and completely unexpected world view. A fiercely primal and possessive sensation burst forth from his chest, summed up in one thought only – **_mine_**. Coupled with an overwhelmingly protective instinct – he understood at once the primitive impulse animals (and some humans too, if they were lucky) had to fight to the death to defend their mate.

Steff inhaled deeply and gazed tenderly into her eyes, so much love welling up in him that he could hardly speak. “ _Oh, Kitten_ ” he whispered, falling into her whiskey colored orbs. He gave her a soft kiss. _You have **no idea** what this means to me._ His heart was full near to bursting. He couldn’t begin to articulate how he deeply affected he was, by something that he never even knew he wanted. “I’m sorry I got so carried away” he said softly at last, kissing her again. And then again. And then once more, for good measure.

Andie smiled, a playful gleam in her eyes, “Well, if memory serves, I **_was_** the instigator in that entire interlude.”

Steff’s eyes widened in mock outrage, “That’s right, you _were!_ What’s _with_ you and always trying to get in my knickers?” he laughed, easing playfully back from the intensity of his response to her admission. _You’ve already scared the crap out of her once today – try and keep a lid on it, will ya?_ he mentally admonished himself.

Andie giggled. “I think if my nickname is _Kitten_ , then yours is gonna have to be ‘ _Catnip_ ’.” She kissed him, sighing as she pulled away, “It seems that I find you _irresistible_.”

“The feeling is more than mutual, sweetheart.” He kissed her nose. Seeking to further de-escalate the passion that was threatening to overtake him, he asked “How’s your hand feel?”

She held it up for inspection and flexed it. The knuckles were purple and slightly swollen. “It’s okay. Hurts a little, no big deal.” She added, “I’m pretty sure Benny feels a lot worse this morning than I do.”

Steff rolled back onto his back, gathering Andie in his arms to rest her head upon his chest. He ran his hands possessively up and down her arms and her back, and kissed the top of her head, smiling, “You feel pretty great to me.” _I love you, Kitten, you have no idea how much. **Someday** you will though._

She smiled, sighing happily into his chest. _I love you so much_ , she thought easily, sinking into his embrace. A moment later her eyes snapped open as that realization sank in. _Oh my God! I **do**. I **love** Steff!_ She sat up abruptly, a stunned look in her eyes as she searched Steff’s face.

“Andie?” he asked warily. “What’s wrong?” concern etching his face.

Comprehension dawning, she blurted out, “I **_love_** you!” an amazed note in her voice. Her eyes then widened in shock at her artless mode of declaration, and she clapped both hands over her mouth in horror. _Oh **crap!** What did I just do?_

Steff began to laugh at her astonished expression as he pulled her down to him, relief and joy threatening to overwhelm him. _**Yes!** Oh, **thank you** God, thank you, thank you, thank you!_ “Well you don’t have to look so excited about it, Kitten” he said light-heartedly, elation emanating from every pore. He rolled them back over to where he hovered over her again. His laughter tapering off, he gazed down at her, at last being able to let all the love her felt for her come pouring out.

“I love you so much, Andie.” Unshed tears brimmed in his eyes. He shook his head. “I can’t even tell you how much. But I do, ** _I love you_**.” He kissed her tenderly and rested his forehead on hers, his eyes closed, feeling their hearts beating in time as one. He opened his eyes and looked deeply into hers, at long last seeing all the love he felt for her being returned in kind. He reveled in it, memorizing this moment for all time, the most perfect moment of his entire life.

Andie fell into Steff’s sapphire depths, flying and drowning all at once. She reached up, cradling his face in her hands. “I love you” she said tenderly. She nodded, certainty reflected in her voice, “I do. I love you.”

It continued to storm outside the rest of the day, but neither of them noticed, because inside Steff’s room, in their own little world, it was _Paradise_.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.


	16. Chapter 16

Steff came in through the back door, whistling “Addicted to Love” by Robert Palmer. Blanca looked up from where she was chopping vegetables, and smiled. “Steff!” she exclaimed, love for her little boy shining in her eyes. They hugged tightly, and as he pulled away Blanca examined him closely. Those sparkling blue eyes that she remembered so well were back.

“You are in love!” she proclaimed.

“Yes” he replied, grinning.

“And she loves you in return”, not a question.

“Yes” he responded, beaming in happiness.

Blanca squealed in joy and pulled him to her tightly, hugging him in delight. Steff let Blanca’s love wash over him, her obvious enjoyment of his happiness somehow making it official; he was _in_ love, and loved _in return_ , and he wanted to tell the world.

“It’s Andie, isn’t it?” she asked when she got done jumping up and down. At his confirmation she jumped up and down some more, yelling “ _I knew it!_ ” and dragged him into the living room to sit on the couch. “Spill” she said, her eyes glowing in excitement.

So Steff spilled, starting with the day she appeared in his first class, and continued on up to the day she told him that she loved him. Blanca interrupted frequently, asking questions, pulling more details out; “And what did you think then?” “How did that make you feel?” “What did she look like when you said _that?_ ” and lastly, “Oh Steff, she really loves you. I am so happy for you.” Adding, “You show this girl _respect_ , you understand me?”

“Blanca, I will. We haven’t done anything but kiss.” Steff paused, “She’s a virgin” he said, a little embarrassed to be making that admission to her.

A deadly serious expression came over Blanca’s face. “She’s a good girl.” Again, not a question.

Steff nodded.

“You listen to me, Steff” she began, wagging her finger at him, before she caught herself and remembered that he wasn’t eight years old anymore. “I’m gonna tell you something, a secret not many people know, something that no one else will tell you.” She paused, “And you might think that it sounds old-fashioned, but there’s no expiration date on the truth.” She continued, “If you love this girl, you marry her and _then_ take her to bed. **_In that order._** ”

Steff’s eyebrows raised.

Blanca went on, “Marriage is… can be… **_should_ _be_** , a powerful bond. The **_most_ ** powerful bond. And there is something _magical_ about the love a woman feels for her husband when he’s the _first_ , the _only_ man she’s ever been with.” She paused, “And there’s equal magic for the man in knowing that his wife kept herself _pure_ for him, chose _him_ to be the only man she would ever be with. There is _power_ and _magic_ in those things that shouldn’t be taken lightly.” She searched his eyes. “Do you understand what I’m telling you, Steff?”

Steff nodded.

“You wait until your wedding night to make her yours. You do that, and she will _always_ be yours.” She grasped his face in her hands, “Don’t cheapen the magic by sleeping with her before your wedding night. You make me proud – be the man I raised you to be.”

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Iona’s door flung open. “Andie!” she screeched. “Come in, sweetie, come in!” Iona pulled Andie inside, slamming the door shut. Iona was dressed like 1967 today; orange beehive hairdo, and a pink and orange tie-dyed mini-dress with white go-go boots. As always, she looked adorable.

“Hon, I’m so glad to see you! You look fabulous! How is college? Oh, I am so proud of you! I miss you so much! I couldn’t be prouder of you if you were my own kid!”

Andie blinked rapidly, out of practice with keeping up with Iona’s rapid fire speech patterns and changes of topics. It was always best to let her run down a bit before attempting to jump into the conversational fray.

Iona poured them both a glass of wine and they sat down on the couch. “So tell me all about school. Is it _great?_ Are you meeting a lot of people? Are the boys really cute? Oh, I _love_ college boys! So young and earnest. And those abs! Hon, tell me, do they still have great abs?”

Andie laughed, Iona’s enthusiasm was infectious, even if it didn’t leave a lot of space for answering questions. “Yes, school is great. I’m having a wonderful time.” She blushed.

Iona gasped and all but pounced on Andie, grabbing her hands and grasping them tightly. “You’re in love!” she exclaimed.

Andie blushed further, nodding, her eyes sparkling.

“I knew it!” Iona crowed. “What’s his name? What’s he like? Is he good to you, hon? _Ohhhh, does he look good without a shirt on?”_ Andie was under the impression that this last was the qualification that mattered most to Iona.

Andie laughed, and proceeded to tell her all about Steff, starting with their shared history of years-long hostility towards each other, which then turned to friendship, and finally culminated in their falling in love. At the end of the tale Iona sat back on the couch, a dreamy look in her eyes and sighed. “ _Oh_ , my little girl is in _love_.”

Andie sat back on the couch, a dreamy expression on her own face. “Oh, Iona, you can’t imagine how beautiful he is. He is really, truly, beautiful. Like a fallen angel. And his **_eyes_**. Omigod, you’ve never seen such gorgeous blue eyes in your life!” She sighed happily.

“Does he give you ‘ _the look_ ’?” Iona asked.

“What look?”

“ _The look!_ You know, **_the look!_** The one that sets your thighs on fire and makes your panties fall off!” Iona exclaimed.

Andie laughed. “Oh yeah. He’s got ‘ _the look’_ down in spades. But here’s the thing…..” She paused. “We haven’t slept together yet. I told him I was a virgin, and ever since then, we kiss, we cuddle, we snuggle, but no sex!”

Iona clasped both hands in front of her heart and honest-to-God, swooned, falling back on the couch. “Oh, **_Andie!_** ” she said wistfully.

Andie looked at her bemusedly, at a loss as to what Iona was swooning about. “What?”

Iona sat back up abruptly and grabbed Andie’s hands and got right up in her face. “Hon, he **_loves_** you.”

Andie nodded, “I know. He tells me all the time.”

Iona shook her head impatiently. “No, you don’t get it, hon. He **_loves_** you – like ‘ _and forsaking all others as long as we both shall live’_ love.” At Andie’s puzzled expression, she elaborated, “You know – _‘I Steff, take you, Andie’_ kind of love.”

Andie blinked rapidly, saying nothing.

Iona watched Andie carefully, searching her eyes. “Andie, honey” she began, her voice changing completely. She spoke in a gentle, measured tone, all levity completely vanishing. “I want you to listen to me closely.”

Andie had never heard Iona speak like this before. She nodded for Iona to continue.

“When a boy is in love with a girl, he wants to have sex with her.”

Andie raised her right eyebrow, nodding. _Well yeah, no duh_.

“But when a boy is in love with a girl, and he knows she’s a _virgin_ , and he doesn’t still make any moves to sleep with her, it’s because he’s got something much more permanent in mind. He wants to _marry_ her, wants to make her his on their _wedding_ night. You follow me?”

Andie was taken aback by this news, and her eyes grew wide.

Iona continued on in that gentle, serious tone. “I want you to promise me something Andie. Promise me that you _won’t_ sleep with Steff.”

Andie was dumbfounded. “What? _Why?_ ”

Iona looked away and said nothing for a minute. Andie squeezed her hand and searched her face, waiting. Iona’s eyes filled with tears, and she felt her throat closing up. She closed her eyes and sat very still, trying to get her emotions under control. A few tears escaped as Iona brought a hand up to where her lips were pressed tightly together.

After a few moments she took a deep breath and opened her eyes, looking lovingly at Andie. “When I was eighteen” she began softly, “I was in love with a boy named James Marshall. _Oh_ , we were so in love” she said wistfully, crying quietly. “I was a virgin, and I was ready to _not_ be a virgin, and I wanted James to be the guy.” She reached for a tissue, wiping her eyes. “But he told me that he loved me so much that he wanted to **_honor_** me….” She paused. “Honor what he felt for me, honor how much I meant to him, by waiting until we got married before he would make love to me.” She closed her eyes, remembering, “He wanted to take care of me, to **_cherish_** me…..” her throat closed up and she couldn’t speak.

Tears were trailing down Andie’s cheeks as she watched her friend’s anguish. “Then what happened?” she whispered.

Iona opened her eyes and nodded, smiling. “We got married!” she laughed. “And Andie, our wedding night was **_wonderful_**. I can’t explain to you what it was like….” she trailed off. “It was _magical_. And it was because we waited. I don’t know why it works like that, but I just wanted you to know that it _does_.”

Andie looked at her quizzically. “But what happened then?” Andie knew Iona wasn’t married. In fact, it never occurred to Andie that Iona had ever _been_ married.

Iona’s eyes clouded in pain and tears threatened again. “He was killed in a motorcycle accident after we had been married for about a year. We had just celebrated our first anniversary.”

Andie’s arms flew around Iona’s neck. “Oh, Iona, I am so sorry”, hugging her tight.

Iona returned the hug. At last they released each other, smiling. Iona held Andie’s face in her hands, saying “That’s why I wanted you to promise me not to sleep with Steff. Because you’re worth so much more. I want you to have what I had with James.”

Andie nodded. Then considered, “But don’t you think I’m a little young to be getting married?”

Iona scoffed. “You’re nineteen! If this was 1886 instead of 1986 you’d be an old maid!” She laughed. “Besides, I didn’t say you had to rush out and get married _today,_ but even if you _did_ \- no, you’re not too young.” She smoothed the hair back from Andie’s face. “You’d be a young bride, but you wouldn’t be _‘too young’_. And there’s nothing _wrong_ with doing things at a young age. If it’s the right thing for you to do, you will know it, and your age won’t matter.”

Andie smiled, nodding. “Thank you for telling me about James, Iona.”

Iona smiled, “You’re welcome hon. Now when am I gonna get to meet Steff? _Oh, I know!_ You can bring him by the store and we can all go out after Duckie and I close up!”

Andie looked a bit chagrinned. “Duckie and Steff don’t have the best history. In fact, they got into a fight at school right before prom.” She paused. “I haven’t even told Duckie yet that Steff and I are seeing each other.”

“You let me worry about our little Duckman, honey” Iona said. “If he ever wants to be kissed in an interesting place again, then he’ll get with the program and behave.”

Andie’s eyes bugged out. ** _“_ _I knew it!”_**

Iona shrugged, laughing. “I love him to death, but there’s a reason why that expression ‘Young, Dumb, and full of cum’ exists.”

Andie clapped both hands over her mouth in horror, and then shrieked, collapsing in laughter. Iona joined her, both laughing until tears streamed down their faces.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

As Steff tried to fall asleep that night, Blanca’ words kept ringing in his ears. “You wait until your wedding night to make her yours. You do that, and she will _always_ be yours.”

Smiling to himself as he drifted off, his last thought was, _Well now I’ve got a plan…._

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

A/N: I thought we needed a chapter where they tell their “moms”. Thanks for reading! All reviews are greatly appreciated!


	17. Chapter 17

Steff slid into the seat next to Andie, her eyes lighting up when she glanced up and saw him. He smiled and slid his arm around her and gave her a kiss. “Good morning, Kitten” he said, love shining from his eyes.

“Good morning, love” Andie said, smiling. “Miss me?” They hadn’t gotten to see each other outside of class in several days, each either having projects to work on, or work commitments.

“ _ **So**_ , so much” Steff admitted, gazing into her eyes and kissing her again. “But, it’s Friday, and the weekend beckons.” He grasped her hand and kissed it. “I have a great idea!”

“Lay it on me” Andie said, grinning.

“There’s a Twilight Zone marathon on channel 20 tonight. So you know what that means!” he exclaimed excitedly, his eyes flashing.

Andie raised her eyebrows expectantly.

“As Blanca says, ‘Pajama party at my house!’”

Andie giggled and clapped her hands, “ _Goody!_ ” She leaned forward excitedly. “I **_love_** the Twilight Zone! Can we make popcorn? Do each other’s hair? Give one another Mani-pedis?”

Steff laughed, getting a kick out of Andie’s enthusiasm for his slumber party idea. _Why didn’t I think of this sooner?_ he wondered. He leaned over and gave her a kiss, reveling in how her eyes lit up whenever he drew near. “I will paint every one of your adorable toenails in whatever hue you choose, but I will have to draw the line at mud-pack facials, or bikini waxes” he laughed.

“Deal” she smiled. Andie was struck by how **_in love_** she was. She had never been so happy in her entire life. “Have I told you today _how_ **_much_** I love you?”

He lifted his chin and looked away in mock affront. “Why no, Andie. _No, you haven’t._ And my feelings are pretty hurt about it” he sniffed.

That comment landed him a lapful of Andie. She plunged both hands into his hair and placed her forehead on his, staring into his stunning cerulean eyes. “Then I have been _remiss_ ” she whispered. She kissed him deeply, pouring every ounce of love she felt for him into the kiss. When at least she ended the kiss, Steff was breathless, his heart pounding in his ears. “ _I love you Steff._ I love you more than I could **_ever_** possibly tell you.” She kissed him again.

_Oh, Kitten._ The blood surged in his veins and he was overwhelmed with the love he felt for her. As the kiss ended he caressed her face with the backs of his fingers, his thumb tracing over her tempting bottom lip. “ _Try_ , Andie. Promise me you’ll _always_ try to tell me how much you love me.” He gazed lovingly at her. “Because I **_need_** to hear it. _Every day.”_

She smiled and kissed him again. Slowly, so _slowly_. “That’s a promise.”

“So….about tonight….” she said, a mischievous gleam in her eyes, “is this a pajama- _optional_ pajama party?”

All the blood in his body rushed straight to his groin, his pants immediately tightening, _painfully_ , and his eyes dilated with desire. Andie’s soft bottom was right in the sweet spot, causing Steff to groan softly, close his eyes and clamp his hands down firmly on her hips to keep from thrusting into her.

_Felt **that**_ , Andie thought smugly.

“ _Kitten,_ **_please_** ” Steff said, his breathing harsh.

Andie smiled devilishly, “No, no, you don’t have to decide now. I want you to think about it. In fact, I want you to think of _nothing else for the rest of the day!”_

Steff swallowed hard. “You’re _very_ evil, you know that?”

Andie threw her head back and laughed. “Yes, but you love me anyway!”

Steff kissed his way up her exposed neck. “That I do, Kitten, that I do.”

“ ** _Would you two get a room?_** _”_ the Hairball leaned over and interjected.

Andie and Steff burst into laughter. Rolling her eyes, Andie climbed off of Steff’s lap and back into her own seat. Didn’t matter; the damage was done. Steff had a raging hard-on the rest of the day, and his thoughts never ventured far from ‘pajama-optional’, just as Andie had intended. _You’re gonna pay for that Kitten,_ he thought. _Two can play at that game._

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

_Meanwhile, out on the frozen tundra…..you know, Illinois…._

Blane picked up his mail and sifted through it quickly. _C’mon, Mom, send a check. Baby Boy needs some money._ Outta luck, no manna from heaven today. An envelope with big loopy, girly writing caught his attention. A puzzled look on his face, he wondered who would be writing to him. **_Andie?_** he wondered. She had never written him a note or anything when they had been in school, so he didn’t know what her hand-writing looked like. He tore open the envelope and began to read.

_Dear Blane,_

_Hi! How are you? I called your mom and got your address. I figured you might like to hear from an old friend from school! When you come home at Thanksgiving we should totally get together and catch up! That would be totally great!_

Blane turned the letter over and skipped ahead to the end to read the signature. **_Benny?_** _What the hell is **Benny** doing writing to me?_ He turned the letter back over and picked up where he left off.

_So I’ve totally been keeping busy. I don’t know if you heard, but I’ve been doing some modeling. Just some local stuff so far, but soon, New York City, look out! My mom thinks I’ve just been posing for some skeevy dudes in their basements, and she wants me to stop, but hey, even Christie Brinkley had to start somewhere, right?_

Blane snorted and rolled his eyes. Benny was so stupid, she probably **_was_** posing for a bunch of pervs in their home photography studios. He shook his head, reading on.

_So, get this…. the funniest thing happened last week! You’re **never** gonna guess who I ran into at the movies! Your best friend and your ex-girlfriend! That’s right! Evidently Steff and Andie are dating now! Gag me with a spoon! Isn’t that so gross? Actually, if you want to know the truth, he was totally sending **me** some signals at the theater that he wanted to get back together, but she looks like she has her hooks in him pretty deep. However, I know Steff pretty well… and even though he’s **totally** banging her, like, **all the time** from the looks of it, I could totally tell he was **really** into me._

_Anyway, she’s a **total** skank. Especially for going out with your best friend behind your back like that. I wonder if they were fooling around behind **both** our backs that last week of school? That would totally explain a lot! And just so you know, if I ever see her again, I’m not going to be as nice as I was this last time! She’ll totally get what’s coming to her – especially when Steff and I get back together, which based on the way he was coming onto me at the movies, should totally be any day now! I’ll keep you posted!_

_Well, I gotta run. I have a modeling job to go to, and I have to call and get directions to the photographer’s trailer park. You should see this outfit I have to wear for this shoot! It’s so totally complicated to get in and out of, I’m sure I’ll have to ask him to help me! Take care, and write soon!_

_Love,_   
_Benny_

Blane blinked several times. What the **_fuck?_** He read the letter again, and then a third time, the rage building in his chest. _Fucking asshole Steff!_ Suddenly everything fell into place with a **_click_**. Steff was always ragging on Andie because he wanted her for himself! And now, it looked like he’d succeeded. _Steff, you fucking asshole!_

Blane pursed his tiny lips, making his tiny mouth even tinier. He suddenly had a new mission in life. _Steff, you’re gonna fucking pay for this._

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

A/N: Thank you very much to everyone who is reading! Please leave a review and let me know what you think!


	18. Chapter 18

Steff put the finishing touches on Andie’s last toenail. Doing a very realistic imitation of Rod Serling, he held up her foot to admire his handiwork and said, “Submitted for your approval: In tonight’s story a young woman meets with a _most_ _exceptional_ manicurist. But is it her _nails_ that he’s really interested in **_doing?_** ” Andie burst out in throaty laughter as Steff continued, “You're traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That's the signpost up ahead - your next stop, the Twilight Zone!”

Andie giggled, clapping. She absolutely adored the way Steff’s mind worked. And she was extraordinarily impressed that he could recite the opening speech from the show. “What’s your favorite episode?” she asked.

Steff thought for a moment. “It’s a Good Life” he answered.

Andie’s eyes lit up. “Oh, that’s the one with the kid from ‘Lost in Space’ who wishes people into the cornfield when they piss him off” she said, nodding. “I like that one too.”

Steff began massaging Andie’s feet. “Yeah, that kid used to creep the hell outta me when I was little. And when he turned the dude into the jack-in-the-box…..” Steff gave an involuntary shudder. “I think it was just seeing that silhouette of the jack-in-the-box bobbing back and forth on the wall.” Steff got a far-away look in his eyes. “Something about that really bothered me.” He shuddered again. “Ugh, gives me the willies.” He returned his focus to Andie. “What about you, Kitten? Which one’s your favorite?”

Andie answered immediately, “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet.”

Steff nodded, “Ah yes, _The Shat!_ William Shatner before he was Captain Kirk. He was pretty good in that. Guy knows how to chew the scenery.”

Andie sighed in recollection, “He was _dreamy_.”

Steff rolled his eyes and gave a snort of derision.

Andie’s eyes widened in emphasis, “ _What?_ He **_was!_** Back in the day he was **_gorgeous!_** ”

Steff rolled his eyes again, shaking his head. “Well, his mileage is showing. Dude needs a new toupee. Looks like he’s wearing a squirrel on his head.”

Andie laughed. Ruffling his hair she quipped, “Yes, well, we can’t all be blessed with your luscious locks.” She leaned forward to examine her pedicure. Steff had painted each toenail with a Fall theme. She had matching candy corns, a couple of witch hats, two jack o’lanterns, a pair of bats, and some ghosts. She wriggled her toes. “Steff, that is amazing! Where did you learn to do that?”

“Blanca has four daughters” he laughed. “I’ve spent _a lot_ of time painting nails.”

“You are a man of hidden talents” she smiled.

He waggled his eyebrows, a devilish gleam in his eyes, “You got that right.”

Andie smiled seductively and beckoned him with her index finger, _come here_ , “Let’s _reveal_ some of those talents, then.”

Steff gathered her in his arms and they spent long moments kissing. At last they pulled away from each other, breathless and aroused. _How the hell does she get me so turned on just from kissing?_ he marveled. Steff kissed her temple, and, his voice husky and low in her ear, said _“I love you so much_ , Kitten.”

The desire in his voice shot straight to Andie’s core, pooling there and throbbing with intensity. Andie kissed him again, a breathy moan escaping her throat, her blood thrumming in her veins, as she climbed into his lap, straddling him and pressing herself into his hard length. _Christ, now I see what Iona meant about being ready to get rid of her virginity!_ Of their own volition, her hips began a slow undulation against Steff, while she ran her hands through his hair, kissing her way across his jawline and sucking on his neck.

Steff’s eyes were rolled back in his head, lost in ecstasy, as his hands clamped down on Andie’s hips. Purposefully guiding Andie’s gyrations, setting a slow tempo, making her ache for release, as he slowly, _deftly_ thrust up against her. Andie’s blood was ablaze, small cries escaping her lips. “ _Steff, **please!**_ ” she whimpered, as she breathlessly panted in his ear, pressing firmly into him, seeking relief. That small cry was nearly Steff’s undoing. He slid both hands down and around to grasp her bottom, tilting and guiding her just so, giving her what she was so desperately seeking, as he gently, but firmly thrust his hips up to meet her center.

Andie’s breath was torn from her lungs as her climax **_slammed_** through her, robbing her of all conscience thought, as she clutched Steff’s shoulders and cried out his name, waves of light pulsating through her core. Steff captured her lips as she continued to ride out the bliss, her cries of ecstasy sending him over the edge with her. As he shuddered with his own release, the only thought he had was, _Oh, Kitten. You’re **mine**_. As her blissful spasms wound to a close, Andie collapsed onto him as he pressed into her center, continuing to thrust against her, staying as close to her as he could, for as long as he could. “ _God, I love you so much_ ”, he groaned.

Many minutes later, as pulse rates and respiration returned to normal, Andie sat up and stared at Steff, a stunned expression in her eyes. A blush heated her cheeks and her eyes were a bit unfocussed. She blinked slowly. “ ** _That’s_** never happened to me before” she confessed dazedly, an amazed note in her voice. She paused. “Well, I mean, not with somebody else in the room.” She kissed him, as he began to laugh, his male ego swelling with pride. “You know how much I love you?” she asked.

“Almost as much as I love you” he answered, lovingly, brushing the hair back out of her eyes.

“We can settle it with rock, paper, scissors, after I get out of the shower” she smiled.

“Deal. Then we make popcorn and watch the Twilight Zone.” He kissed her. Then pulled her close and held her tight for a long, long, time.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

While Andie was in the shower Steff put the nail polish away and straightened up a bit. Mostly just to have something to do to keep his mind off how annoying it was to have to stand around in underwear that you’d just shot your load into. Upon further reflection however, he decided he didn’t mind; it had totally been worth it. If he lived to be a hundred he would never forget the night he gave Andie her first orgasm. _Well, her first with someone else in the room anyway_ , he thought, laughing.

The shower shut off, and a few minutes later Andie emerged, wearing her own pajamas this time. _Holy crap on a cracker, white babydoll pajamas._ Every fantasy that 13 year old Steff ever had just stepped into the room. Steff’s eyes dilated with desire, and he felt his throat tighten. The top was not quite see-through, but if you were willing to use your imagination, you could get the general idea of things. The bottoms were short, short, short. And they had ruffles. _Ruffles, for chrissakes_. Steff felt arousal falling on him like a ton of bricks. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. _Jesus, she’s going to kill me_.

“Just gonna grab a quick shower, Kitten. You can make the popcorn if you want.” Steff kissed her as he walked past. She nodded, reaching out and leisurely caressing his ass as he passed by. **_Christ!_** Steff stopped in his tracks and did an about face, reaching for her and grabbing her by the bottom, hauling her up, and pressing her onto his hardened length. Andie’s eyes widened in surprise, and then dilated in desire. The diaphanous material of her pajamas did nothing to mask the impressions; the sensations Steff elicited were _much_ stronger this time, not being muted by so many layers of clothes. He dipped his head to hers and kissed her passionately. A ‘take no prisoners’ kind of kiss. When he finally pulled back, Andie’s eyes were fixed with hunger, her lips swollen and wet. She blinked slowly, her chest heaving, breathing ragged.

“ _Hurry up with that shower_ ” she whispered.


	19. Chapter 19

“So, I never did ask you, what did you do graduation night?” Steff scooped a handful of popcorn from the bowl balanced on the cushion between their legs. It was a boring episode of the Twilight Zone, so they had been holding hands, talking, kissing, and eating popcorn. They both sat crossed legged on the couch, facing each other, the bowl between them.

Andie shook her head, “Same as everybody else, I guess. Went out and got _drunk_.” She tossed a piece of popcorn in the air and caught it in her mouth.

Steff clapped with the back of his hands and made a noise like a barking sea lion. “ ** _Ort! Ort! Ort!_** ” Andie tossed him a piece of popcorn, which he deftly caught in his mouth. Andie giggled.

“Who’d you go out with?” Steff asked, in between catching pieces of popcorn that Andie kept throwing at him.

“Duckie, of course. And Iona. We went to this dive bar that we always used to go to.” Andie looked at him speculatively. “Why? What did you do?”

Steff shrugged dismissively and looked down, shaking his head, saying nothing.

Andie slipped her hand into his and leaned forward. “I’m not about to want to take a swing at you, am I?” she asked gently, her eyes shining full of love.

Steff gave a bark of laughter. “No. Well, no more so than usual.” He paused, wondering whether to tell her what he had done that night. Worried it might make him look like a pathetic loser. “ _Clean slate_ ” he softly muttered, mostly to himself.

Andie gently squeezed his hand and remained silent, raising her right eyebrow expectantly. _Go ahead_.

Steff inhaled deeply and began, staring down at their entwined hands. “I went to the party that my parents threw for me at the club. Pretty much everybody was there. But I left after about an hour.”

Andie looked puzzled. “You left your own party? _Why?_ ”

Still not meeting her eyes he softly answered, “Because the person I _really_ wanted to see wasn’t there.”

_Ugh, fucking Benny. I **hate** that bitch_. “Now I’m confused. Didn’t you and Benny break up that last week of school?” Andie asked, shaking her head in bafflement.

Steff finally looked up at her, sapphire meeting topaz. “Have you fallen out of your tree?” he laughed bemusedly. “Kitten, I’m not talking about _Benny_ ” he said, shaking his head, smiling.

“I left my party and went looking for **_you_**.” He squeezed her hand. “I had been kicking myself for not going up and talking to you when I saw you after graduation.” He shook his head in disbelief, “You _smiled_ and **_waved_** at me” a stunned note in his voice even now as he recalled the episode. “You’d never smiled and waved at me before in your life! I can’t tell you how shocked I was.” He paused, blushing, “But I was too afraid to go talk to you. I figured I’d just fuck it up somehow, so I just stood there like an idiot, watching you.” Steff rolled his eyes in embarrassment.

Andie smiled, recalling that night. “I remember seeing you. I was kinda hoping you’d come over and talk to me, but then you didn’t….” Andie shrugged, “I figured you’d given me your apology, and the next time I’d run into you might be at our 20th reunion.”

“I wasn’t willing to wait that long” he said, a note of longing in his voice. “So I went to every graduation party I could think of, looking for you.”

“As you might have guessed, based on the last one of your soirees I went to, parties aren’t really my thing” she said, smiling. “Especially after Blane told me that he couldn’t bring me to _your_ party at the club.”

Steff grew still and blinked slowly, not understanding. “He told you **_what?_** ” he said, a steely, cold note in his voice.

Andie drew back a little at the vehemence in Steff’s voice. A puzzled look on her face, she said, “Yeah… he told me that since the party was at the club, it was for members only, and you said it would make everyone really uncomfortable if I was there so he couldn’t really bring me. Then he tried to play it off by saying that I probably didn’t want to spend any time with a bunch of people who thought I was nothing but trash anyway.”

Steff’s eyes blazed. “ _That sack of shit!_ I wasn’t even on _speaking terms_ with him at the end of school. _Fucking **Blane**_ wasn’t even invited to my party!” Steff took several deep breaths, trying to calm down.

_Next time I see you, **Buddy** , I will kick your ass for that. Try and make **me** take the fall for you being a pussy – I am going to **Kick. Your. Ass.**_

“Kitten, I’m sorry. I never said that. I don’t blame you for believing him, based on what an asshole I’d been to you up til then, but you gotta believe _**me** now_ , I never told him he couldn’t bring you to my graduation party.” Steff stared earnestly into her eyes, willing her to believe him.

Andie smiled and waved her hand dismissively. “Clean slate, baby doll.” She leaned forward and kissed him sweetly. “He did us both a giant favor, actually. In fact, that’s the reason I dumped him.”

“Is this story gonna make me want to take a swing at him?” Steff asked, not a trace of humor in his face.

“Possibly” Andie nodded, grinning.

Steff’s face suddenly became ashen, all the color draining from it, making the blue of his eyes stand out eerily. He was having trouble catching his breath.

Andie became alarmed. “ _Steff_ , what’s wrong?” Seeing that he was in some sort of real distress, she jumped up off the couch and made him lie back, keeping his knees up. She knelt on the floor next to his head, her eyes searching his, panic setting in. “Talk to me sweetheart, what’s wrong? What is it?”

Steff was having a full blown panic attack. It suddenly hit him, that the lie Blane told Andie could have ruined _everything_ between them, going all the way back to the last day of school when he apologized to her. Blane could have ruined Steff’s chance at forgiveness, at redemption, at **_love_**. Steff saw now how close he came to missing out on everything he had with Andie; she could have chosen to believe Blane to the point that she wouldn’t have accepted his apology, and they would have never gotten to where they were now. _Forget kicking your ass, **Buddy** , I’m gonna fucking **kill** you_.

Andie never left his side, clutching his hand and smoothing the hair back from his brow. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I’m right here, I’m not leaving you. Everything’s okay.” Tears were gathering in her eyes, a few falling. Steff’s breathing slowed and he nodded, holding her gaze.

Andie put her head down on Steff’s chest, holding him, listening to his heart pounding like it was about to burst. _What did I say? What’s the matter?_ Steff gathered her in his arms and held onto her for dear life, compulsively running his hands up and down her arms, holding the back of her head and clutching her to him tightly. As though holding onto her securely _now_ would make what had _almost_ happened disappear.

After a few minutes, Steff heard Andie’s muffled, nasally voice “Angel, you’re squishing my nose. I can’t breathe.” He immediately loosened his hold as they both began to laugh. “Sorry, Kitten” he said as she sat up, brushing her hair back from her face. Calmer now, wonder in his voice, he said, “You _forgave_ me. That last day of school when I apologized, you _forgave_ me. I could see it in your eyes. If you believed him about the party, why would you forgive me?”

Andie smiled down into his beautiful blue eyes and kissed him. “Because you meant it” she said, as though that should have been perfectly obvious. She grinned mischievously, “One thing I can say about you sweetheart, you’re no pushover. If you want to do something, you _do_ it, and you don’t give a shit what anyone else says or thinks about it. There’s a lot of integrity in that. So I knew that if you were apologizing to me, you didn’t give a rat’s ass what Blane, or your parents, or anyone else thought about how you felt about me.” She kissed him. “I respect you for that. That meant a lot to me.”

“Besides,” Andie said, shaking her head and rolling her eyes, “Blane’s a pussy. That’s why I dumped him. He was never going to change – he was always going to be ashamed of being seen with me, he was never going to stand up for me…. _fuck ‘im!_ ” she laughed.

Steff laughed with her, but still couldn’t completely shake the feeling that he had had a very near miss, like almost stepping into an empty elevator shaft. He pulled her to him again, kissing her for long minutes, letting her love wash over him and settle him down.

Rod Serling’s voice broke into Steff’s reverie. “Portrait of a frightened man: Mr. Robert Wilson, thirty-seven, husband, father, and salesman on sick leave.” Steff reluctantly ended the kiss and nodded toward the TV, “Your episode is starting.” Andie turned towards the television where “Nightmare at 20,000 Feet” was just beginning. “Ooooh look! There he is! Look at how young he is! Isn’t he _dreamy?_ ” Andie exclaimed.

Steff rolled his eyes good naturedly and sat up, making room for Andie to curl up next to him on the couch. “First Blane, then William Shatner. Is there no end to the abuse that I’m willing to put up with for you, Kitten?”

“Get back to me when you’ve broken one of _their_ noses, sweetie. Then we can compare notes on who’s suffered the most!” she laughed. “In the meantime, you’re harshing my Twilight Zone buzz.”

Steff laughed, holding her tight and kissing the side of her head. In his best Rod Serling voice he said, “ _Submitted for your approval: a long suffering boyfriend, forced to play second fiddle to William Shatner.”_

Andie kissed him. “Submitted for your approval: the most wonderful man I have ever known. The man I love more than anything. _And_ he’s _nobody’s_ 2nd fiddle.”

“I love you, Kitten” Steff said softly.

“I love you, Steff. So, so much. But if you don’t stop talking and let me watch my show, I’m gonna wish you out into the cornfield” laughter and love shining in her eyes.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

A/N: Thank you for reading! Please leave a review and let me know what you thought.


	20. Chapter 20

“Duckie, honey, get up. It’s time to go home.” Iona shook Duckie awake, gazing at him fondly.

Duckie yawned and stretched. “But I don’t wanna go home. Can’t I stay with you tonight?” he said, cuddling up next to her and giving her his best puppy dog eyes.

Iona kissed his cheek, “Hon, you know I love you to death, but you can’t stay.”

Duckie pouted. “Why not?” He kissed her neck, stopping to nibble on a particular spot he knew she favored.

Iona’s eyes closed as she bared her neck to him and murmured, “Because trying to sleep with you is like being pecked to death by a duck.” She paused briefly. “No pun intended.” He stopped his ministrations and looked at her perplexed. Iona tapped her neck with one manicured nail, indicating he should pick up where he left off. “You toss and turn, you kick, you steal the covers, you thrash around like a spider on a hotplate. Who can sleep with all that going on?”

“Am I to be punished for having an active dream life?” he asked, affronted. “I object!”

“Objection overruled honey. Now c’mon, get up. You know I don’t like you riding your bike after midnight.” Iona pulled the covers back with a flourish and gave him a nudge.

Duckie stood and pulled on his pants. “You _could_ give me a ride home then” he muttered under his breath.

“Lord no,” Iona laughed. “I can’t imagine how much energy you’d have if you didn’t work some of it off riding your bike. You’d wear me out!”

“I could stand to burn a little energy off _now_ ” he suggested, taking her in his arms and waggling his eyebrows up and down at her.

Iona kissed him, laughing. “Once a king, always a king. Once a knight is enough.”

Duckie laughed, “I see what you did there.” Then in mock outrage, “Hey, it was more than once!”

Iona grinned and handed him his shirt and walked into the living room. Off-handedly she said, “Oh I forgot to tell you, I saw Andie a few weeks ago. She stopped by and we got caught up.”

Duckie sat on the couch, putting on his socks and shoes. “Yeah? How’s she doing? I haven’t talked to her since school started.” He paused and asked hesitantly, “Did you tell her about us?”

Iona looked up at the ceiling, “I may have mentioned it in passing.”

Duckie swallowed, bobbing his head slightly, “And how did she take it?”

Iona shrugged, shaking her head, “She was fine with it”, like, why wouldn’t she be? “She’s seeing somebody at school. She’s in **_love_** ” Iona smiled.

“She say who?” Duckie asked, finishing up with his footwear.

“Let me think. James? No, that’s not right. Jimmy? No, that’s not it either.” She paused, tapping her index finger against her chin, “Steff? No, wait, that’s a girl’s name, that can’t be right. Steve? Yeah, maybe that was it.” She smiled, “Whatever his name is, boy, he makes her **_glow_**.”

Duckie smiled. “Good. I’m glad she’s happy. As long as he’s not another douchebag like **_Blaaaane_** , he’ll be fine with me.”

Iona stood and walked Duckie to the door. “I’m glad to hear you say that sweetie. I told her I want to meet him; that the four of us should go out.”

Duckie wrapped his arms around her and gave her a hug. “Sounds good.” He gave her a brief kiss and glanced at his watch. “Looks like I have to **_plow_**.”

Iona laughed, “Yeah, get going Farmer Ted, go **_plow_**.” She kissed him and opened the door. “Ride safe sweetie. See you in the morning.”

As she closed the door she smiled, _Well, he can’t say I didn’t warn him._

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

“Ready for bed, Kitten?” Steff asked, shutting off the tv.

Andie yawned, nodding, and began to help him pick up. After they had everything straightened up and put away, they took turns in the bathroom. As Steff entered his room he was momentarily arrested by the sight of Andie under the covers, sitting up, waiting for him. He cocked his head, staring at her, his heart filled with yearning. _God, please let me have **this** , have **her** , every night for the rest of my life_, he prayed. Andie smiled at him adoringly, tracking his movements across the room. As he slid under the covers beside her, he kissed her shoulder and said “You look very much at home, Kitten. Like you’re right where you’re supposed to be.” _**Please** , God_.

Andie smiled and gathered him in her arms, sliding down onto her pillow and cradling his head to her breast. Steff wrapped his free hand around her shoulder, squeezing her tight, cuddling up next to her, as she kissed his head and began to run her fingers through his hair and caress his head. Steff sighed in pleasure, and sank into her embrace, listening to the gentle pounding of Andie’s heart. Andie began to trail her fingers lightly down Steff’s back, and up again, over and over, alternating between his hair and his back. Steff was in heaven, he all but purred in contentment.

“I _feel_ like I’m right where I’m supposed to be” she said softly. “Where ever _you_ are” she whispered.

Steff’s heart leapt as he lifted up on one elbow, and stared down at her, his heavy lidded stare drilling into her, his hand caressing her face. “You mean that, Kitten?” he asked softly, searching her eyes.

“I _do_ ” she replied, a meaningful note in her voice.

Steff’s eyes widened slightly. _That sounded just like….._

As she pulled him down for a kiss, she whispered, “How’s **_that_** for foreshadowing?”

The blood surged in his veins, and his heart felt like it was about to beat out of his chest. Steff deftly rolled on top of her, settling easily between her legs, which rose to cradle and intertwine with his, kissing her deeply all the while. Andie drew a deep breath, running her hands over his back, getting used to the feeling of Steff’s weight, pressing her into the bed. She was stunned by the heady intoxication she felt, holding him, supporting his weight like this. Steff made her feel like a powerful goddess, as though she held the secret to life itself. She felt an immediate flooding of warmth at her center, moisture pooling, and the onset of the sweet sort of madness she was beginning to crave.

Steff kissed his way down her throat and untied the bow at the top of Andie’s pajamas. All the air left his lungs as her top fell open and her breasts were revealed. The dusky coral of her nipples perfectly matched her lips, and they hardened and pebbled under his gaze. **_Christ!_** He palmed her left breast, intoxicated by her softness and how perfectly she filled his hand. He gently pulled and plucked her nipple, making her gasp and reflexively lift her hips, as he kissed his way from her breastbone to at last plant a kiss where his fingers had been working her into a frenzy. He ran his tongue around her dusky areola, and then drew her nipple into his mouth, moaning his pleasure as he sucked and gently raked his teeth across her. Andie cried out, clutching his head, holding to her, as her hips thrust up into him again and again. With his free hand he began the same ministrations to her other breast, massaging, pulling, and rolling her aching nipple in his fingers until her chest was heaving, and her breathing labored. He alternated between breasts; his lips, teeth, tongue, and fingers driving her mad, propelling her into a desperate hunger that only he could assuage.

A sob escaped her lips as Steff began to move slowly against her, his hardened length slowly thrusting against her core, the barrier of her pajama bottoms making her ache and strain for release. She grasped his back, sliding her hands down his back and under his pajama bottoms to clutch his bare ass, pressing him into her as he slowly ground against her. Steff’s eyes rolled back in his head, and he moaned aloud.

Steff lifted his head from her breast, hovering over her as he continued his torturous slow thrusting, supporting his weight on his hands. He dipped his head, capturing her lips and kissed her deeply. Andie’s legs wound tightly around his waist, imprisoning him against her core as she lifted her hips to meet him, desperately seeking release. Her impassioned cries were driving him mad; he was moments away from climax, moments away from losing all control.

“ _Tell me what you want, Kitten_ ” he groaned against her mouth.

Andie was beyond thought, well beyond reason. “ _ **Please** , Steff!_” she implored.

Steff slipped a hand between them, tracing a slow outline on the outside of Andie’s pajama bottoms, which were completely drenched. Andie whimpered, pressing into his hand, frantic with need.

“I like it when you say _‘please, Steff_ ’, Kitten” he breathed roughly in her ear, gently rubbing her sensitive bundle of nerves in a slow circular motion, the sound of his voice ratcheting up Andie’s desire even further. “And I’d like to give you what you want” he said, as he slipped a finger under the material to touch her directly for the very first time, as Andie gasped and cried out, “but first you’re gonna have to do something for me” as he increased the pace and pressure, before stilling his hand completely.

Andie pressed up into his hand, out of her mind with desire. Breathless with need she cried, “ _Steff, please! **Anything** …what?_”

Gaining the capitulation he had been waiting for, Steff captured her lips in a searing kiss and pressed his fingers down, rolling and sliding, and effortlessly got her there. Andie cried out as her orgasm slammed through her, wave after wave pulsating through her. She clutched Steff’s shoulder and pushed up against his hand as his fingers slid over her slickened flesh, plump and throbbing with desire, the ecstasy continuing to roll over her unabated.

**_Sweet Jesus, Kitten._ **

Steff was about to come undone, just from Andie’s reaction alone. He didn’t even need her to touch him; her response to his touch was enough to bring about his release. He watched, enraptured, as her orgasm overtook her, her face transfixed in passion. She was the most beautiful sight he could conceive of, and he was determined to make her his, in every sense of the word. As her contractions began to subside, he eased off the pressure he was applying and slowly drew his fingers through her drenched, glistening curls and brought one moist finger to her lips, caressing and dampening them. Lightly rubbing his lips over hers, he then kissed her nectar from off her lips, tasting her, savoring her, the tang and scent of her imprinting indelibly on his mind. **_Forever_**.

Steff’s climax exploded through him, the taste of Andie catapulting him over the edge, rushing through his veins, gripping his heart, squeezing him tight. He grasped her head as he groaned into her mouth, thrusting against her soft belly as intense waves of bliss overtook him. **_Christ!_** Steff had never had such a powerful orgasm in his life, a deep growl emanating from his chest as his eyes rolled back in his head in reflex. As the waves began to abate, Steff collapsed on top of Andie, breathless, mindless, and spent.

It was a long, _long_ time before either one of them could breathe again normally, much less speak. They lay in each other’s arms, gazing into the other’s eyes, kissing, stroking, breathing each other in, so deeply in love that no words were needed. At last, Andie remembered and asked lazily “What was the something that you wanted me to do for you?”

Steff kissed her, holding the back of her head. He let all the love he felt for her show through his eyes.

“ _Marry me_.”

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

A/N: Thanks for reading!


	21. Chapter 21

“ _Marry you_ ” Andie breathed, eyes widened.

Steff gently placed a finger on her lips, and smiled softly. “Now before you get all freaked out, understand, that was _not_ a marriage proposal.”

Andie raised one eyebrow. “ _Not…_ ” her voice trailed off, confusion in her eyes.

Steff continued caressing her face, gazing adoringly into her eyes. “That was me telling you that before I make love to you the first time, you’re going to have to consent to be my **_wife_**.” He waited a second to let that sink in. “I **_love_** you, Andie. I want to make you mine in every conceivable way. Which means…” he paused to lift her left hand to his lips, kissing her ring finger, “you wear my _ring_ …” Steff blinked slowly, his heavy lidded eyes boring into Andie, setting her blood aflame, “and you bear my _name_.” He kissed her softly, his eyes never leaving hers, “ ** _Mine_** ” he breathed. “My **_wife_**.”

Andie was lost in the depths of his sapphire eyes, overwhelmed with love, awash in desire. “ _Yours_ ” she breathed, nodding. _**Steff’s** ; yes. **Yes**_.

“I **_love_** you, Steff” she breathed. _God, **yes**_ **,** it was coming off of her in waves.

Steff’s heart was so full, it ached. That wonderful, awful, crazy, beautiful ache you get when everything you’ve ever wished for your whole life is about to be yours. **Forever**. “ _I love you, Kitten_ ” he whispered, unshed tears gathering in his eyes. He kissed her deeply, gathering her in his arms, entwining his legs in hers, getting as close to her as he possibly could. They held each other like this for who knows how long; minutes or hours, it was never long enough. At last Steff pulled back, ending the kiss. He gave Andie a slow, lazy smile that did funny things to her insides.

Andie ran a finger down Steff’s chest, stopping to play for a moment in his chest hair, which she _loved_. She glanced up at him shyly and said hesitantly, “So…. this policy that’s in place…” she paused, “does that mean _everything’s_ off the table?” Her brow furrowed, even as her fingers continued their sojourn down Steff’s chest, coming to lightly trail over and across his stomach. Steff inhaled sharply in reflex, a gap forming between his pajama bottoms and his hip bones, and Andie ran her fingers deftly under the waistband. “Because we’ve already had quite a bit **_on_** the table; I would _really_ hate to see all that go away” she smiled seductively.

**_Christ, Kitten. You’re killing me_**. Steff placed his large hand on top of hers, dragging it back up his chest, back to less turbulent waters. “We can always negotiate terms, Kitten” he said smiling. A brilliant smile lit up Andie’s face. _“Good!”_ she whispered, “I would hate to have to resort to _coercive_ bargaining tactics.”

Steff chuckled. “I’m pretty sure that I would fold like a cheap suit, so I’m gonna ask you to continue to negotiate in a spirit of fairness.” He kissed her deeply. “Although I look forward to you unleashing the magnitude of your coercive maneuvers _after_ you’re Mrs. Steff McKee.”

Andie smiled, love for him radiating off her in waves. “I promise to only use my powers for good” she said solemnly, before erupting in giggles.

They kissed goodnight (which took awhile) and at last Andie rolled over, Steff following, his arm wrapped snuggly around her, spooning her. Each fell into a deep, peaceful, sweet slumber, content in each other’s arms. And so, **_so_** much in love.

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

The next morning Andie made them breakfast, and Steff dropped her back off at her dorm room. She was going to spend the morning in the library, working on a research paper, while Steff was headed off for a few hours of work, making deliveries.

He saw her to her door and kissed her goodbye. “You got time to get together later, Kitten?” he asked hopefully.

“Another pajama party?” she asked excitedly, eyes flashing.

“Careful, Kitten. You may end up having to make an honest man outta me sooner than you expected” he smiled.

“But we still have all those negotiations to wade through” she said seductively, reaching on tiptoes to kiss her way up Steff’s neck, stopping to nibble here and there.

Steff inhaled deeply, arousal rocketing through his veins, culminating in a painfully pleasant throbbing in his loins. He nodded mindlessly, _yes, yes, yes,_ backing Andie into the door and kissing her silly. When at last he pulled back from the kiss they were both breathing heavily, arms wrapped tightly around one another, eyes dilated, lost in desire for each other.

“ _Are you two **ever** gonna get a room?_ ” Hairball muttered as he walked past.

Steff whispered playfully in Andie’s ear, “ _I’m gonna ask that guy to be my best man._ ”

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Steff finished up with his deliveries shortly before lunch and sat in his car across the street from Trax, smoking a cigarette and trying to formulate a plan to fix things with Duckie. _Can’t have the little dude wanting to jump me every time he sees me and Andie together_ , he thought. _Gotta calm that crazy little ninja down_.

Steff stopped in the coffee shop a couple of doors down and ordered a couple of cappuccinos. Almost as an afterthought, he grabbed a handful of sugar packets and shoved them in this pocket. _Duckie looks like somebody who has a heavy duty sugar jones_ , he thought speculatively. As he approached the front door to Trax, he could hear the Everly Brothers blaring from inside. He shrugged his shoulders back, and inhaled deeply. _Here we go._

Duckie was behind the front counter, manning the register, singing along to “Cathy’s Clown”, doing a credible job with the harmonies, as he juked around a bit, dancing absent-mindedly. Steff walked up to the counter and slid the cappuccino across to Duckie. Duckie looked up at him, startled, but with an open, pleasant expression on his face. Until he recognized Steff, that is. Duckie’s spine stiffened and he stopped dancing, his hands landing on his hips, taking Steff’s measure. A wary, puzzled expression landed on his features and he took a step back, glancing from the coffee to Steff, and back again.

Steff adopted a very relaxed, casual posture, leaning on the counter, sipping his coffee. They stared at each other silently for an awkward amount of time, to Steff’s mind, but he wanted to give Duckie an opportunity to adjust to his sudden presence.

At last, Steff gave a hint of a smile and nodded, “Duckie.”

Duckie stared at him guardedly, his hands still on his hips, but thrust his chin in the air and defiantly replied, “Steff.”

Steff reached into his jacket pocket and retrieved the handful of sugar packets and placed them next to Duckie’s cappuccino. Nodding toward the collection he said, “That’s for you. I hope you like cappuccino.”

Duckie’s brow furrowed, his lips slightly pursed, staring at the coffee. He glanced up at Steff, briefly considering, then nodded, taking the lid off, and began compulsively dumping the contents of the sugar packets into the cup, one after another. Steff’s eyes widened slightly when he got up to the eighth packet with no signs of stopping, but he said nothing, smiling into his coffee. _Called that one right._

After Duckie had emptied all the sugar into his cup, and the counter was littered with the shredded remains of the packets, he vigorously stirred it before taking a sip. Meeting Steff’s eyes at last, he said, “Thanks. Needs sugar.”

Steff chuckled. “Next time I’ll fill both pockets.”

Duckie set the cup down on the counter and crossed his arms. Jerking his chin at Steff, he asked, “So what brings you in, Steff?”

Still in his relaxed pose against the counter, Steff bobbed his head in time to “Cathy’s Clown” for a moment. Blanca had loved The Everly Brothers, had played their records all the time. Steff was therefore a big fan of a lot of music that had been recorded before he was even born. “Great tune” he commented. “You can really hear how much The Beatles ripped them off in their own early work.”

Duckie was taken aback, his eyebrows shot up in surprise. “ _You_ like The Everly Brothers” he said, disbelievingly.

Steff nodded, as though this should be obvious. “Oh yeah. I love anything with harmonies in it. The more intricate, the better. The Beatles, ELO, The Beach Boys… The Bee Gees” he continued nodding, “I could listen to that all day.”

Duckie blinked, nonplussed.

“However, my secret ambition is to one day be able to sing like Smokey Robinson” he admitted.

Duckie’s eyes clouded over, “ _Smokey_ ” he agreed reverently, nodding. “ _Tears Of A Clown!_ ” he said enthusiastically, bobbing up and down on tiptoes, pointing at Steff in emphasis.

“Yes” Steff smiled, agreeing. _Duckie gets it._ “You’ll have to spin some Jackson 5 for me next time I’m in.”

Duckie smiled in agreement, then seemed to remember that he and Steff weren’t exactly the best of friends.

_Okay, here we go._ Steff continued in his easy, laid back conversational cadence, “So, I wanted to come by and apologize to you Duckie.” Duckie’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “I was a total ass to you back in school, and I wanted to tell you in person that I’m sorry. Really.” Steff straightened and extended his hand, “I hope you’ll accept my apology. I don’t expect your forgiveness, but I wanted you to know that I’m sorry for the way I treated you.”

Duckie automatically shook Steff’s extended hand, the habit having been ingrained in American men for generations. However, his mind was reeling from Steff’s declaration.

“I also wanted to thank you for what you did on Andie’s behalf.” Duckie raised an eyebrow, puzzled. Steff continued, “You know, jumping my ass in school and going all Chuck Norris on me.”

Duckie gave a disbelieving bark of laughter.

“I would kick any guy’s ass I ever heard talking about Andie like that, and I’m grateful that she had you there to defend her” Steff concluded.

Duckie blinked slowly, comprehension beginning to dawn.

A piercing voice broke through his newfound realizations, “Hey Hon! Who have we got here?”

Steff and Duckie both turned towards Iona, who was strutting up to the register, today wearing a mini-skirted blue sailor suit, complete with matching blue hat and a pink pageboy wig. Adorable.

Steff smiled, turning on the full wattage of his charm. “Iona” he nodded. The way Andie talked about her, he would know her anywhere.

Iona walked right up to him, gazing up into his gorgeous blue eyes, inhaling him delightedly, her eyes flashing, drinking him in. “ ** _Steff_** ”, she cooed, nodding in certainty. The way Andie talked about him, she would know him anywhere.

Duckie’s gaze ping-ponged back and forth between them comically. “You two know each other?”

They both nodded, saying “no” simultaneously.

Iona continued to smile at him dazzlingly, leaning in and searching his eyes. “ _Oooooh_ , Andie was right. You **_are_** beautiful.” She flashed a glance at Duckie, who was standing there in shock, his mouth agape. “Hon, when you get finished here I need to see you in the back for a minute, okay?” She turned to Duckie, patted his cheek, and gently closed his mouth, kissing him on the corner of his lips.

She turned to walk away and looked back at Steff. “It was nice to meet you Steff. I expect to see you and Andie real soon, okay?”

Steff nodded, smiling. The whole interaction had taken like, ten seconds, tops, but Steff felt like he had just been introduced to a force of nature called Iona. Like he was just stepping out of the eye of a storm.

As he turned back to face the thunderclouds gathering on Duckie’s face, he realized, _And straight into Hurricane Duckie._

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

A/N: Thanks for reading! All reviews are greatly appreciated, so let me know what you think!


	22. Chapter 22

Duckie vaulted across the counter at Steff, swinging his legs to the side and sailing easily over the counter, landing lightly on his feet, right under Steff’s nose.

_Whoa! Check the little dude out! That was pretty cool!_ Steff thought, bemusedly. _Of course, **now,** he’s gonna try and kick my ass again._

Steff held both his hands up and took a step back, trying to diffuse the situation. “Okay, Killer, take it easy. Let’s talk this through.”

Duckie was not about to let something as trifling as logic and _reason_ get in his way. He stalked towards Steff, doing an odd cocking, jerking motion with his head, reminding Steff for all the world of an extremely pissed off little rooster. To his credit, Steff managed not to laugh out loud, but he was certainly storing up the memory to replay for his amusement at some later date.

Duckie continued to advance on Steff. “What do you think you’re doing, Steff?” Duckie grabbed a handful of Steff’s shirt and drew back his right fist, prepared to punch his daylights back to the dark ages.

Steff stood absolutely still and made no move to escape the blow, keeping his eyes on Duckie’s the entire time. After a full minute, he slowly looked down at Duckie’s fist bunched in his shirt, and then unhurriedly returned his gaze to Duckie’s eyes. Duckie’s chest was heaving, nostrils flaring, as he stood trembling with rage, ready to pummel Steff.

Steff said easily, “If you’re gonna punch me again, let’s go ahead and get it over with. This shirt is Italian silk and you’re wrinkling the hell out of it. My dry cleaner is gonna charge me a fortune to get those out.” He gave Duckie a small smile.

Duckie immediately un-bunched his hand, releasing Steff’s shirt. “Wow. Italian Silk? Really?” He began to smooth out the wrinkles, pressing them down against Steff’s chest, “Sorry about that.” Duckie then began to blink rapidly and shook his head, clearing it. _What are you doing, you idiot?_ He dropped his fist, placing both hands on his hips and just stared disbelievingly at Steff for a long moment.

Steff looked at Duckie, his right eyebrow slightly raised, expectantly awaiting the little ninja rooster’s next move.

Duckie brought his fist to his mouth and bit down hard on it. He turned and walked away, then whirled around and stalked back, pointing his index finger at Steff and opening his mouth to say something, but then closing it again with a snap. He threw his hands up in the air and stomped away again, only to return and stand in front of Steff, his arms folded across his chest, tapping his foot, breathing raggedly.

“Can we talk about this now, or do you need another minute?” Steff asked quietly.

Duckie jutted his chin out, eyes narrowed, and nodded towards Steff, “Talk” he replied, tersely.

Steff inhaled deeply. _Here we go_. Steff knew how deeply Andie loved Duckie; guy was like a brother to her, so he better not fuck this up. Best to cut right to the chase. “Long story short, man, I love her” he said simply.

Duckie nodded shortly. “I know.”

Steff blinked, taken aback. “You _do?_ How do you know that?”

Duckie gave a dismissive snort, “You think you’re the only one who had to content themselves with worshipping Andie from afar?” He paused. “I used to watch the way you looked at her. I spent enough time looking at her the same way - I oughta recognize unrequited love when I see it.”

Steff smiled, nodding in understanding. “Hey, at least she _liked_ you. She _**hated** my_ guts, and rightfully so, for a long time.”

Duckie nodded, “Yeah, you had that coming.” He looked at Steff speculatively. “I can’t believe that idiot Blane never saw how head over heels you were for her. It was clear as day to **_me_**.”

Steff rolled his eyes. _Fucking Blane_. “Yeah, well he’s a total dumbass on a variety of levels.”

Duckie regarded Steff closely. “Andie loves you too, then.”

Steff smiled, such joy radiating off him that Duckie blinked in surprise. “She does.” Steff nodded and looked away into the distance, appearing to recollect something secret and delightful, smiling to himself. “ _She loves me_ ” he said, a note of genuine wonder in his voice, as though he couldn’t believe his good fortune.

After a momentary, brief stab of jealousy, something small and warm shook loose in Duckie’s chest.

“And so you know, I’ve told her everything. Told her all the awful things I said about her, told her why I said them…I even told her why you kicked my ass that day.”

Duckie raised his fists over his head, dancing around in a pugilistic victory dance. Steff laughed.

Steff shook his head, continuing, “I don’t deserve her – I know I don’t. But I get up every day and try like hell to be worthy of her.” He spread his hands in front of him and shrugged. “I love her, man. She’s my _whole world._ ”

Duckie nodded, believing him, knowing the feeling he described, _intimately_.

Steff ran his hands through his hair, taking another deep breath. “And she loves you, man. You’re part of her family, which means….” He exhaled slowly, “which means you’re gonna be part of **_my_** family too one day.”

Duckie’s eyes widened in surprise. He took a step back.

Steff noted the look in his eyes. He nodded, “Oh yeah, believe it. I’m gonna marry that girl.” He went on, “so you and I, we gotta get this straightened out. Andie’s too important to both of us.”

Duckie raised an eyebrow. “And if I withhold my approval?”

Steff looked at him appraisingly. “Well, you _could_ , but I don’t think you _will_. You love her too. You want her to be happy.” He continued, “You have my word; I will **_never_** hurt her intentionally. I will _always_ put her first. I will _always_ take care of her, respect her, cherish her, protect her. As her _friend_ , as her **_brother_** , what more could you possibly want for her?”

Duckie’s eyes filled with unshed tears. He looked down, spun around and walked several paces away and stood there, one hand on his hip, the other next to his mouth, thinking. After a few moments, he spun back around and walked back to Steff, shaking his finger as he approached. “You give me your word that you will treat her right.” It was not a request, nor did Steff interpret it as such.

Steff extended his hand. “I give you my word” he said, not a trace of levity in his features. Duckie regarded Steff’s hand for a moment before taking it in his own and shaking it. “Then we have an understanding” Duckie said, seriously.

Steff smiled, relief showing in his eyes.

The loud trumpeting of Iona blowing her nose from the back room interrupted what _had_ been a pretty nice, manly moment. She had of course been eavesdropping on the entire exchange, and was beside herself with happiness, crying copious tears of joy. “Duckie, Hon!” she yelled, “You get back here _right now!_ I’m gonna give you a great big **_kiss!_** _Anywhere you choose!”_

Duckie’s eyes flashed excitedly and he raised his eyebrows comically as he spun toward the back of the store. Over his shoulder he smiled, “Sorry, dude. Gotta **_plow!_** ”

Steff stood shaking his head, laughing to himself as he watched Duckie run to the back of the store. _I’m marrying into the weirdest family ever,_ he thought bemusedly.

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Please leave a review and let me know what you thought!


	23. Chapter 23

_Saturday night at Steff’s place_

“So how many kids you think you want to have, Kitten?”

Andie began to choke on her soda as she looked up from her books at the kitchen table, where she and Steff were both doing homework. She began to blink rapidly, “ _Kids?_ ” She swallowed and took a deep breath. She knew Steff’s penchant for springing unexpected topics on her. _Why do I always have a mouthful of something when he does this?_ she wondered. She thought for a moment, pursing her lips, and tapping them with her pen. “I guess it depends on a couple of different things.”

“Like?” Steff sat forward, studying her.

“Well, I think I want to be done having babies by the time I’m 35, 37 tops. And I would like for it to just be me and my husband by ourselves for the first two or three years, so I guess it will depend on how old I am when I get married as to how much time that leaves for having babies.” Andie smiled.

“Ballpark me” Steff said.

Andie returned to perusing her book. “Eight” she said casually. “Nine, if we want to field a team.”

This time it was Steff’s turn to choke on his soda.

After he got his throat cleared, he asked, “Boys or girls?”

“Boys, definitely” Andie answered.

Steff sat back, a little surprised by her answer. “All boys?” he asked.

“Yep”

“Why?”

Andie sprung from her chair to Steff’s lap in one fluid movement, wrapping her arms around him and kissing him deeply. When at last she pulled back from the kiss, she gazed into Steff’s dilated eyes and softly said, “Because I want to be the _only_ girl in my husband’s life.”

Steff blinked leisurely, smiling seductively as he stared up into Andie’s eyes, setting her blood on fire. He began to kiss his way up her neck, pausing here and there to nibble a bit. Suddenly he pulled back and looked at her quizzically. “I notice that when you refer to the future, you do it rather theoretically.” He cocked his head, considering, “Why do you say ‘ _my husband_ ’ instead of saying ‘ _you_ ’?” A terrifying notion began to creep into his consciousness. _What if she says it that way because she doesn’t really want to marry me?_

Andie raised her eyebrow, “Well it seemed kind of presumptuous of me to act like it’s a done deal when you haven’t even asked me yet.” She paused, “That, and I didn’t want to jinx it.”

Steff exhaled deeply, relieved beyond belief, and returned his attentions to her neck. “You’re not gonna jinx it, Kitten.” He continued to kiss her neck and nuzzle her ear. He pulled back and gazed deeply into her eyes, sapphire meeting topaz, and said softly, but meaningfully, “And, as far as I’m concerned, it is a done deal.” He kissed her softly. “However, I’m not a big baseball fan. How about soccer?”

Andie giggled. “How many are on a soccer team?”

Steff smiled. “Eleven”

Andie’s eyes widened comically and she began to laugh. “Why stop there?” she joked. “We could move down under and have an Aussie rules football team – they have like, 18 guys on their teams.”

Steff laughed. “For your sake, I hope at least half of those are twins.”

“Yeah, for your sake _too!_ ” she laughed. She looked at the ceiling, doing the math in her head. “If we have one a year til we reach 18, then we should have started, like, last month, in order to meet the deadline.”

Steff grinned, waggling his eyebrows up and down at her. “That’s okay, Kitten. I work well under pressure.”

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Steff sat, brow furrowed in concentration, as soft classical music played in the background. Andie noticed that whenever he was working on something that required his absolute attention, Steff tended to have classical music playing in the background. As he worked the math problem, erasing, and re-working it, Andie heard him mutter, “Trigonometry, thou art a heartless bitch.” Andie chuckled.

Andie had out her sketch pad, intending to start working on ideas for the design class she would be taking in the spring semester, but instead she found herself drawn (no pun intended) to Steff’s hands. He had very large hands, with long, elegant, tapered fingers. She watched as Steff grew absolutely still, thinking, except for the fingers of his left hand, which were drumming on the table. As she watched, she picked up on the music playing in the background, and noticed that his fingers were moving in time with the music. Andie’s head cocked to the side, studying him, a thought forming in her head.

“ _You play the piano!_ ” she suddenly blurted out, startling the crap out of Steff in the process.

**“** _ **Jesus,** Kitten!_ ” Steff exclaimed, grabbing his heart and beginning to laugh. “Yes. I play the piano.”

Andie looked at him with adoration. “That is so _wonderful_. Would you play for me sometime?”

“Yes, as soon as I get done having this heart attack, I’ll get right on that” he laughed. “Although, you may have noticed that I don’t have a piano here. When I take you to introduce you to Blanca, I’ll play for you then.”

“You want me to meet Blanca?” Andie asked, touched and suddenly nervous.

Steff gave her a baffled look, like, _Well, duh_ , and nodded, “Yes, of course I want you to meet Blanca. And she’s dying to meet you too.” Steff smiled, “Of _course_ I’m gonna put the two most important women in my life together.” Andie nodded, deeply gratified.

Steff was silent for a few more minutes, working on his trig again. “What are we doing for Thanksgiving, Kitten?” he suddenly asked.

Andie raised her eyebrows, considering. “Well…. My dad is going to Milwaukee to see his parents…. So I guess I’m staying here, not really doing anything. Aren’t you going to your folks’ for Thanksgiving?”

Steff sat forward, looking at her intently. “They’re going to Tahoe for the week.”

Andie’s face fell. “Oh.” She exhaled and looked down. _Guess I’ll be spending the week by myself._

Steff grabbed Andie’s hand and pulled her into his lap. “Spend the week here with me, Kitten” he said softly. He kissed her tenderly. “I have more to be thankful for this year than I ever have in my entire life.” He brushed her hair back from her brow and kissed her again. “ ** _Please_** spend Thanksgiving with me. Our _first_ Thanksgiving.” _The first of about 75, God willing._

Andie had tears in her eyes as she eagerly nodded yes.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

“Han Solo and Princess Leia” Steff suggested. Halloween was right around the corner and they were trying to come up with costume ideas.

“Which Princess Leia?” Andie asked. “I am not wearing those stupid looking hairy honey buns on my head.”

“Well, if you insist then,” Steff said blithely, “I _guess_ I could put up with seeing you in the Slave Girl Leia incarnation. But you’re really asking a lot.”

“Uh-huh.” Andie nodded, not buying it for a second. “I admire your sacrifice” she grinned. “Fred and Wilma Flintstone” she countered. “You’d make a cute caveman.”

“The Howells!” Steff proclaimed.

“Okay, they’re on the short list.” Andie agreed.

“Lucy & Ricky Ricardo?” Steff asked.

Andie raised an eyebrow. “You really gonna dye your hair black and talk with a Cuban accent all night? In fact, no, never mind; I forbid you to dye your hair black for even one night.”

Steff laughed, “Sorry, I forgot your policy about my hair.”

Andie shook her head and muttered, “Crime against nature.”

“KISS?” Steff submitted.

Andie smiled, “Noun or verb?”

“Yes” Steff laughed. Andie laughed and kissed him. “Now if you mean the band” she said, “we’re a couple of members short.”

“Yeah, but if we decide to be them, we get first pick and then we find 2 more people and make them be the others.”

“Short list” Andie nodded, smiling. “And I get to be Paul Stanley.”

“Deal” Steff agreed. “Superman and Wonder Woman?”

“Gangster and a Flapper” Andie suggested.

“ _The Joker and Poison Ivy!_ ” Steff said, his eyes lighting up.

“Ding, ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!” Andie exclaimed, clapping in delight. She ran to her purse and got her tape measure.

“Now strip. I wanna get your measurements.”

Steff grinned. Parts of him were growing as we speak.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Steff stood shirtless, in his boxers while Andie roamed around him, taking down his measurements. She was enjoying herself immensely, having a helluva good time getting to run her hands all over Steff’s arms and chest. He was having a pretty great time himself; Andie took her time, getting all the measurements just right, sometimes taking a particular one, two or three times before finally writing it down.

Andie stood in back of him, measuring his shoulders. She passed the tape around his front and tugged on it, moving Steff backwards into her embrace. On tiptoe, she tenderly kissed the back of his neck, and then traced delicate kisses down his back, and from shoulder blade to shoulder blade. As she kissed his back, her hands were busy stroking his chest; down and across his stomach, and up again, to roll deftly over his pebbled nipples.

**_Christ!_** Steff inhaled sharply, the sensation shooting straight to his groin. As Andie continued to gently squeeze and massage his sensitive peaks, a guttural moan escaped his chest. The sound thrummed deep inside Andie, plucking her core; the sudden sensation causing her to exclaim softly, and moisture to pool between her legs. Her thighs squeezed together reflexively.

Andie circled around to his front to take the rest of his measurements. As she measured across his chest she looked up into his eyes and felt her mouth go dry. Raw desire was etched on his face, and he looked as though he were only seconds away from tossing her over his shoulder and taking her to bed. Andie’s cheeks heated as her blood ignited. _You are so damn beautiful. And you are **mine,**_ she thought.

“I need to take your inseam” she said, dazedly. Glancing down between them, Steff’s burgeoning arousal was on full display, impressively tenting his boxers. Her eyes grew wide as she looked back up at Steff and said with a bit of trepidation, “Try not to put my eye out with that, okay?”

Steff barked laughter, and pulled Andie to him tightly. **_Oh Jesus, Kitten_**. His erection was pressed into her soft belly, and it was all Steff could do to just stand still and hold her. This is backfiring. _Holding her tight is not helping things. **At all.**_ “Sorry Kitten, you know what you do to me.”

Andie kissed him deeply. “You’re doing the same to me” she whispered.

As she went down on her knees to take Steff’s inseam, she looked up at him for a long moment. Steff’s hand tenderly caressed the side of Andie’s head. She leaned into his hand, rubbing her head in his hand, her eyes never leaving his. She blinked slowly, and inhaled deeply, directing her attention to the matter that was directly in her face. She ran her hands up the backs of Steff’s thighs, stopping as her fingers rode up into his shorts a few inches. Her eyes glazed over with desire, and she licked and then purposefully bit her bottom lip.

**_That’s it! We’re done here!_** Steff couldn’t take it anymore, he was about to explode, and preferred to be in a more comfortable position when he did so. He pulled Andie to her feet. “ ** _Bed. Now._** ” He growled, tossing her over his shoulder and took her to his room. Andie smiled in delight. _Maybe we should have gone with a Caveman theme after all!_

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

A/N: Thank you very much for reading! Please leave me a review!


	24. Chapter 24

Andie had been running around like a maniac all day. She only had a few more days to get Steff’s Joker costume finished, and between it, and her school work, she had been going non-stop. It was pouring down rain outside, and there was a definite Fall chill in the air, as she entered her dorm room and kicked off her wet shoes and tossed her books down on her bed. She needed to get a few things together before Steff arrived to pick her up; they were having dinner at his apartment, followed by studying and (for her) sewing. She set her sewing machine and materials up at his place, space and lighting being more conducive to constructing the costume than her dorm room. Plus, as much as she liked her roommate Jennifer, she wasn’t about to have Steff standing around in his shorts while she fitted his suit to him, in front of her.

“Where the hell did I put that folder?” she muttered to herself. The research paper she had been working on for weeks was in a manila file folder, and she needed it to work on at Steff’s tonight. She looked all over her room, under the bed, in her various book bags, but nada. Andie began to get worried, and sat on her bed to clear her head and think. She began to retrace her steps in her head when she spied an envelope over on her desk that she hadn’t noticed before.

_Jennifer must have picked up the mail_ , she thought, walking over and picking the envelope up. Her eyes immediately went to the return address.

_Blane McDonnagh_

**Oh hell.** _What the fuck does **he** want_?

Sighing deeply, determined to hurry up and get this over with, Andie tore open the envelope and sat down at her desk to read.

_Dear Andie,_

_Hi Babe! How are you? How is college treating you? Northwestern is great, for the most part. Everybody’s pretty nice. My roommate is pretty peculiar though; reminds me of some of the people who hung out in the courtyard back in high school. Remember those weirdos? Anyway…._

_Andie, I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately. Thinking about how I screwed things up between us and how much I miss you. You are the most wonderful girl I’ve ever known, and I was an idiot to let you go. You’re a really special person, and you deserve to be with someone who loves you and will treat you right. It sucks that I was only able to fulfill half of those requirements in high school, but things have changed – I’ve changed. I really did love you, and I still care a lot about you; one day I hope to earn the chance to show you that I can treat you the way you deserve to be treated. I think we still have something special between us; we just need some time away from all the people who were constantly trying to tear us apart. I would like to see you when I come home for Thanksgiving – I want to take you out and show you how much spark still exists between us. What I felt for you, and what I think you felt for me, doesn’t just die overnight; it’s still there for me, and I hope at least a little of it still lives in your heart too._

_I heard through the grapevine that you’re dating Steff now. All I can say is “wow”. Of all the girls who have fallen for his bullshit, I would have never bet that you would end up being one of them. You know he’s nothing but a liar, right? He’s just using you. If he’s told you that he loves you, he’s lying – I heard him say the same thing to Benny a hundred times, and look how that turned out. He’s only trying to get you in bed, and after he does, he’ll dump you. Steff doesn’t give a shit about anyone but himself, and after he gets what he wants from you, he’ll make you feel like trash and then break up with you. Andie, I’m begging you, don’t believe a word that comes out of his mouth. He’ll just use you and then break your heart. I don’t want to see you end up like Benny (who, by the way, I also heard he’s still sleeping with)_

Andie snorted, and tossed the letter aside on her desk, not even bothering to read the rest of it. Clearly Blane was delusional. And a pussy. _Just how fucking stupid do you think I am?_ She shook her head, rolling her eyes, _I don’t have time for your bullshit, Blane. I gotta find that file folder!_ She was about to commence another search of her room when the phone rang, startling her out of contemplating the whereabouts of her research paper. She crossed the room to answer the phone, but as she passed her dresser, she caught her last two toes on the corner of it with a resounding **_crack!_** A sharp, blinding pain rocketed from her toes, all the way up her spine, and all the air left her lungs in a **_whoosh_**. She gasped three times, in so much agony and shock, she couldn’t even _swear_. Andie knew at once that she had broken those two toes; the sickening crunch being the dead giveaway.

The phone continued to ring and as Andie finally made it over to pick it up, a flood of tears escaped her eyes. She choked out “Hello?”

Just then Jennifer entered, soaked to the bone. “It’s raining cats and dogs!” she proclaimed, shaking off like a dog, before noticing that Andie was crying her eyes out, and talking on the phone. “Are you okay?” Jennifer mouthed. Andie held up her hand, _I’m fine, don’t interrupt me_ , and nodded.

Jennifer shrugged and went into the bathroom to get out of her wet clothes. On the phone, Andie was actually quite relieved to hear that it was one of the student assistants at the library, who had found her folder and was calling her to come get it. “The library closes in 15 minutes” the caller said. “You comin’?” Andie said “Please wait for me!” and slammed down the phone. Since it was still raining, there was no point in putting on dry shoes, so she crammed her feet back in her sodden shoes and limped heavily out the door, trying to get to the library before it closed.

A few minutes later Steff knocked on the door, expecting Andie to answer, and was mildly surprised when it was Jennifer instead. “Oh hey, Jennifer. Andie here?”

Jennifer looked around, puzzled. “Well, she **_was_**. I just got here a few minutes ago. When I came in, she was on the phone, **_crying_**. And when I got out of the bathroom she was gone.” She stepped aside, motioning Steff in.

Steff’s eyes widened, alarm setting in. “ _Crying?_ She was **crying?** ”

Jennifer nodded.

Concern etched Steff’s face, “Did she say what was wrong?”

Jennifer shook her head. All I heard her say was ‘Please wait for me’ and then the door slammed.

Steff took a deep breath, trying not to panic. _His Kitten was out there crying somewhere and needed him!_ He turned and looked around the room, trying to get a feel for what was going on, where she might be.

Jennifer interrupted his thoughts. “Listen, I gotta go, but you’re welcome to wait here til she gets back. I’m sure whatever is going on will be alright.” She smiled as she picked up her purse. “Lock up when you leave, okay?” she said as she left.

Purse! Steff spied Andie’s purse on her desk. _Andie wouldn’t leave campus without her purse. She wouldn’t run off without her keys and wallet. Okay, so that means she’s around here somewhere._

Steff walked over to the desk to see if Andie’s keys were there. They were. Sticking out from beneath an envelope. He moved the envelope over, glancing at the return address.

_Blane McDonnagh_

An icy tendril of dread began to wind its way around Steff’s heart.

His eyes fell to the letter, and powerless to stop, he picked it up and began to read.

_Dear Andie,_

By the time he got to the last paragraph, which unbeknownst to him, she hadn’t even read, Steff was careening between a murderous rage towards Blane and a paralyzing fear that Andie would believe his lies.

_I want to see you when I come home. Just please say you’ll be careful with Steff. Please say you won’t believe his lies when he tells you he loves you. Please say you’ll wait for me._

_Love always,_   
_Blane_

Steff dropped the letter on the desk and squeezed his eyes shut, pressing his fists into them, until the world went a little white around the edges. The air left his lungs and his knees buckled, as he sat down heavily on the bed. Steff was so stunned that he was having trouble completing a coherent thought.

_Think, Steff, **think!**_

**Crying**. Andie was **_crying_**. On the phone with somebody, **_crying_**.

_Fucking Blane_.

The last words of his letter, _Please say you’ll wait for me._

Her last words on the phone before she left, _Please wait for me_.

Steff’s blood was roaring in his ears, and nausea, anguish and foreboding were at war for supremacy within him. He began to pray like he’d never prayed before, swaying slightly back and forth, his fists clenched in front of his closed eyes.

Three words: _Please, God, **please**_ **.**

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.


	25. Chapter 25

_God, **please** don’t do this to me. I’m **begging** you, **please** don’t take her away from me._

Steff prayed fervently, his eyes clenched shut, his hands clasped together, pressed into the bridge of his nose. He didn’t hear anything, couldn’t feel anything, couldn’t _see_ anything, except his future happiness slipping away. He prayed for long minutes, every fiber of his being focused on his conversation with the Almighty.

_**Please, God.** Please, I can’t do this without her. She’s my whole world. **Please** don’t take her from me._

As he continued to pray he could feel the fear beginning to trickle away, bit by tiny bit. Steff began to breathe deeply, stopped begging and listened.

_Would you get a grip? Who are you going to believe in, put your faith in? Andie, or that sack of shit, Blane?_

**_Andie._ **

_So stop freaking out. She **loves** you._

_Yeah, but she was **crying.** And that fucking letter! I am going to kill him for writing that pack of lies to Andie._

_Would you fucking forget about fucking **Blane?** Who gives a fuck about him? **Andie** is who we care about. You need to find out what’s wrong with Andie. Whatever it is, she needs your help. Your woman needs you, so stop sitting here like a pussy and **go find out what’s wrong!**_

_“Steff?”_

Steff continued to breathe deeply, intently focused on his internal dialogue. _Andie **loves** me, I **know** she does. Andie loves me. She’s gonna **marry** me. Andie loves **me.**_

A little louder this time. “ _Steff?”_

A soft, gentle hand caressed his cheek. “Steff, honey? Are you okay”

Andie was crouched down on the floor at his knees in front of him, one hand on his leg, gently rubbing his thigh, the other tenderly stroking his face. Steff jerked, opening his eyes, startled to see Andie’s whiskey colored eyes staring up at him intently, concern coloring her face. He uttered a sharp gasp, equal parts anxiety and relief as he reached for her and pulled her tightly to him.

Steff squeezed her so tight, she gave a small squeak of surprise. He didn’t let go of her for quite a while, thanking God over and over as he ran his hands over her, kissing the side of her head and holding her as close as he could. _Thank you God, **thank you.**_ When at last he could bear to release her, he scooted over so she could sit next to him at the foot of the bed. It was only then that he noticed how absolutely, completely _drenched_ she was.

He searched her eyes, and wouldn’t let go of her hands. “What happened? What’s wrong? Why were you crying?”

Andie looked puzzled. “What?”

“Jennifer said you were crying when she got home, and then you just disappeared.”

Andie gave a small laugh, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. “Oh yeah. Jeez, what an _ordeal!_ So, get this, I lost my research paper – couldn’t find it anywhere and I was here tearing the room apart, looking for it, and the phone rang. When I went to answer it, I cracked the **_shit_** out of my toes on the end of that stupid dresser. Ugh! Look at this!” She kicked off her still-soaking-wet shoe and displayed her wet, pruney foot, its two smallest toes curled up and turning purple.

Steff look alarmed and gently clasped Andie’s cold wet foot and began to gently rub it, trying to warm her up.

“So, it was the librarian on the phone” Andie continued, “and they found my folder with my research paper in it, but they were closing in 15 minutes, and I had to have that paper to work on tonight. So I had to hobble back over there in the pouring rain before they closed.” She sighed in relief. “Fortunately, the lady saw me limping up the walk through the front doors, and waited on me.” She began to shiver from being soaking wet and cold. “And now I look like somebody went upside my head with a wet squirrel.” Her teeth began to chatter. “Bbbbut at least I I I ha-have my p p paper.”

Steff’s relief was palpable. He could almost hear God saying “ _I told you so._ ” In that instant he learned a valuable lesson. _**Trust**_. Trust God. Trust Andie. Trust in what they had built together. “Come on, let’s get you out of those wet clothes” Steff said, helping her up. Andie hobbled into the bathroom and Steff handed her dry clothes to change in to. “I think I’m gonna take a hot shower – get warmed up. That okay?” Steff nodded and went back and sat back down on her bed to wait.

When she emerged a few minutes later, Steff was still sitting in the same place, staring at his hands, thinking. Andie studied him for a minute, wondering what had him acting so weird. She limped over and sat next to him, and grasped both of his hands in hers, and leaned into him, kissing his cheek. “Talk to me sweetheart. What’s wrong?”

Steff looked up into her eyes, saying nothing, for a moment. At last, he took a deep breath and shook his head. “I had a pretty bad scare earlier.” Even though everything had turned out fine, he was still shaken. Not because he doubted that she loved him, it wasn’t that. It was the combination of events; reading that fucking letter, her crying on the phone, telling the caller to please wait for her, and then disappearing without a word to anyone. The cumulative effect of the events all balled up together had taken its toll on him. Intellectually, he knew everything was fine, and had always _been_ fine. Emotionally though, it was another story. He was still feeling very vulnerable, traumatized even.

_And Blane is a fucking dead man, the next time I see him. I’m gonna rip off his head and spit down his throat. I’m gonna rip off his arm and beat him with the wet end. He’s **dead.**_

Andie immediately looked alarmed, her eyes widening in concern. “What’s wrong? What happened? Are you okay?” She brushed his hair back from his face, “Is everything alright?”

Steff said nothing, his eyes sliding to her desk, where Blane’s letter still sat. Andie followed his glance, her eyes landing on the letter, understanding immediately dawning. “ _Oh._ **That.** Can you believe that asshole?” She shook her head and rolled her eyes, still not believing what an idiot Blane was. Andie began to smile, but her smile faded when she noticed that Steff wasn’t joining in making fun of Blane. She looked at Steff intently when he still hadn’t said anything after a moment.

“Steff? Honey? What’s wrong? Why would Blane’s letter scare you?” She ran her fingers through his hair, rubbing his scalp, searching his eyes. She became distressed by the uncertainty she saw reflected there. She wrapped her arms around him tightly and just held him, rubbing her hands over his back, and then kissed him again, pouring every ounce of the love she felt for him into the kiss, undoing the treachery Blane’s lies had caused. Gradually, she felt Steff come back to life, felt his insecurity fading away, felt his assurance returning. At last she pulled back from the kiss, and holding his face in her hands whispered, “Don’t you _ever_ doubt me again Steff McKee.” At his widened eyes she added emphatically, “ _I love you._ That’s **_never_** going to change.” Steff exhaled deeply in relief, and nodded, smiling.

Andie glanced back over at the letter and shrugged, “That was the dumbest thing I ever read in my life; it just annoyed me – I didn’t even finish it.”

Steff gave a bark of laughter. “So you didn’t get to the part where he told you not to believe me when I tell you that I love you, and where he asks you to wait for him?”

Andie threw her head back and laughed, the sound warming Steff down to his unbroken toes. “ ** _As if!_** ” she exclaimed. She continued to laugh, “No, I bailed on his fairy tale when he said you were still sleeping with Benny.”

Steff shuddered with revulsion. Then he said, “Well maybe you can sympathize with my plight when I get here and your roommate tells me that she came home to find you on the phone, _crying your eyes out_ , and heard you tell someone to _please wait for you_ – and then I find **_that”_** he nodded towards the letter, “and I have to read a bunch of filthy lies about myself, _**lies** about how I feel about you_ , and **_hear_** Blane’s fucking voice in my **_head,_** coming on to my girlfriend…” Steff was breathing raggedly, “and then, the last thing he says, is for you to _please wait for him!_ ”

Horror and a new sympathy alighted in Andie’s eyes. “ _Please wait for me…._ ” she whispered. Her eyes filled with sorrow and compassion for what Steff must have thought. She threw her arms around him and whispered in his ear “ _Oh baby, I am so sorry. I’m **so** sorry you went through all that.”_

Steff couldn’t take it anymore, he needed to hold his woman. He scooted up further on the bed and gathered Andie in his arms, and lay down, holding her tightly against his chest. They stayed that way for a long time, neither speaking. Andie held him, communicating with her touch that he was safe, loved, secure. At last she leaned up on one elbow and gazed tenderly into his eyes.

“I love you, Steff” she said softly.

He nodded. “I know.” He smiled, “Not to get all ‘Han Solo’ on you, or anything.”

She gave a soft laugh, falling into the depths of his beautiful blue eyes. “I’m _never_ going to leave you, Steff. **_Never._** _I promise_.” She kissed him softly. “I want you to forget all about that stupid letter and Blane’s idiotic lies, and I want you to remember _this;_ I will _always_ believe you. **_No matter what._** I will always believe **_you.”_** She smoothed the hair back from his brow. “Nothing anyone else says means a goddam thing to me. Just you.”

Steff inhaled deeply, and that last remaining little tight sensation in his chest shook loose and broke free, leaving him at peace and relieved, his equilibrium being restored at last. He hugged her tight, kissing her deeply. This was the puzzle piece he had been yearning for; the knowledge that she would always choose _him,_ always believe _him **first,**_ no matter who said what; she would trust him implicitly.

When he pulled back at last, Andie blinked slowly, and then, considering something, got a very mischievous gleam in her eyes.

She smiled evilly, “However, if sometime over Thanksgiving break, you feel the need to make Blane feel like my little toe, all over, I’m not gonna stand in your way.”

Steff laughed. “Maybe Duckie and I will hold hands and beat the shit out of him together.”

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

A/N: Whew! So much angst, and all over a broken toe and a misplaced term paper! Thanks for reading! Please leave me a review and let me know what you thought!


	26. Chapter 26

“Not gonna argue with you about this, Kitten. You’re _going.”_

“Steff, _no,_ I don’t want to. They’re not going to do anything for me. It will be a colossal waste of time, and I have stuff to do.” Andie had that stubborn look on her face; that faint vertical line between her brows, her lips pressed together in frustration.

Steff pressed his lips together and sighed deeply. Years of knowing Andie’s “pissed off” face had taught him to know when to back off, however, he now also had a couple of months of exposure to her “deliriously happy” face and had picked up on when to press his case. He decided to press. Although a change in tactics might be called for.

He drew her into his arms, willing her to melt into his embrace. After a few seconds she relaxed marginally. He slowly, lovingly caressed her arms and back and kissed the side of her head, nuzzling his face in her hair. He unhurriedly inhaled and exhaled deeply, continuing to rub deliberate circles on her back. Gradually, her posture began to thaw, and she softened fully into his arms. Steff secretly smiled, his face still buried in her hair.

“Okay, Kitten, have it your way” he said softly, continuing to hold her close. “I can’t force you to go.” He sighed quietly. “I was hoping though, that if you wouldn’t go for your own sake, then you would at least go for _mine.”_

Andie pulled back from his embrace enough to look quizzically into his eyes.

Steff gently caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers, staring forlornly into her upturned gaze. “Where you’re concerned, Kitten, I’m a worrier. And I’ve already had a hellacious time of it today.” Andie’s eyes flashed in concern, remembering the misery he had just been in, misinterpreting the reason behind her tears, mysterious phone call, and rapid departure. He paused, nodding, and sighed deeply. “But if I can’t convince you to go, then I’ll just have to suck it up and suffer in silence.”

Andie opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it again and stared into Steff’s eyes, considering. At last she sighed and returned her head to his chest and hugged him tight.

“Okay” she agreed quietly, “I’ll go.”

_**Don’t** gloat._ Steff smiled, as his arms tightened around her in response. “Thank you, Kitten.” He kissed her head, “C’mon, get your stuff – I’ll carry it. What shoes are you going to wear?” He released her and looked around the room.

Andie shrugged, a puzzled look on her face. “Slippers?”

Steff pursed his lips, considering. “You should probably wear something with a hard flat sole, to keep those toes immobilized. Got any clogs?”

She did, and Steff went to dig them out of the closet. Glancing through her collection of clothes and shoes, he began doing calculations in his head, building her a closet in their first house, in his mind. Andie had no inkling, but this was how Steff lulled himself to sleep on the nights he had to sleep alone. He built a house for Andie in his mind. Her sewing room still needed some work; he was having issues with the shelving, but he thought he finally had the lighting right.

As he carried her books and gave her his arm to lean on he said brightly, “Going to the doctor is gonna be _great,_ Kitten!” His eyes flashed devilishly, “Just think, you might get a big, giant cast! Maybe all the way up past your knee!” Andie began to laugh. He continued, “And crutches! Big wooden crutches that weigh about 50 pounds each! With no pads, so you get giant bruises on your armpits!”

Andie continued to laugh. “For somebody who was so worried about me five minutes ago, you sure are taking great delight in this now.”

“Well, you know I have such a sunny disposition, I usually try and look on the bright side of things” he remarked airily.

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

 

Turns out they were both right. The doctor said that it was a good thing that Andie had come in to be examined, and he was able to straighten the 2nd smallest toe out somewhat. However, that was pretty much all he was able to do.

“Aren’t you even going to X-ray it?” Steff asked, beginning to get annoyed with the cavalier attitude this little-better-than-a-glorified-veterinarian was taking. Clown probably didn’t even go to a _real_ medical school; undoubtedly a recent graduate of _Our Lady of the Bahamas Medical College and Trade School._

“Don’t need to” the Doctor answered, beginning to get annoyed with the imperious attitude this overbearing boyfriend was exhibiting. _God spare me from boys in love, who think they need to tell me how to do my job_ , he thought. “I can tell by looking at them that they’re broken.”

“So **_do_** something!” Steff gestured. “Or did you _miss_ the day they covered broken bones at _Caribbean Poly-tech_ because you had a scuba diving class conflict?”

Andie snickered quietly, getting a huge kick out of Alpha-Steff. Andie had discovered that while Steff was endlessly patient and kind towards _her,_ he tended not to suffer fools gladly, typically giving people about ten minutes to get their shit together before calling them out on it.

The Doctor’s eyes narrowed, his spine stiffening. He pressed his lips together and turned to Andie, directing the remainder of his instructions to her. “Your toes are broken. Stay off the foot tonight, keep it iced and elevated. For the next week wear flat, hard soled shoes, like the ones you have on now. If the swelling worsens, come back and see me.” He paused, and continued to Andie solely, “Do _you_ have any questions?” making it clear that he was not entertaining further commentary from Steff.

She grinned and shook her head. “Thank you Doctor.” He nodded, and glancing at Steff, _Asshole,_ he left.

Steff’s eyes narrowed, watching him leave. _Low-rent witch doctor._

Andie put her hand on Steff’s shoulder to brace herself, and hopped down off the exam table. She smiled adoringly up at him and asked “Ready to go Sweetheart?”

Steff put his arm around her and kissed her temple, still staring daggers at the door through which the doctor had made his exit, muttering “ _He is **not** getting an invitation to the wedding.”_

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

 

When they got back to Steff’s apartment, Andie let Steff fuss over her, knowing that it made him feel better to be doing something. They were sitting at the kitchen table, Andie’s foot resting on a pillow on the chair next to her. Andie was putting the finishing touches on her research paper, relieved to finally be done with it.

She glanced up from her work to discover Steff staring at her, love shining in his eyes. She smiled, and reached for him with her free hand, while writing the last sentence of her paper. “There! Ta-da! _Done!”_ She leaned over and kissed him, eyes widening excitedly. “Let’s work on your costume!”

Steff scooped her up and carried her to the couch, sitting down with her in his lap. “Nope” he answered, kissing her neck and nibbling on her earlobe.

Andie inhaled sharply, the sensation shooting straight to her core, arousing her endlessly, causing her to squirm a bit against Steff’s groin. Her thighs clenched together in reflex.

“The _Doctor,_ and I use that term loosely, said for you to stay off your foot tonight. So you can stay off of it here in my lap, and later, you can stay off of it in our bed. But you’re staying off of it.” He continued to kiss her neck, his hand skating lightly over her breast, through her top, causing her nipple to harden at once. He slid his hand up under her shirt, his large warm hand stroking her across her stomach and up the side of her rib cage, before deftly unclasping the hook at the front of Andie’s bra and freeing her breasts to his touch. Andie exhaled raggedly, her pulse pounding in her ears.

Steff’s other hand was clamped firmly around Andie’s hip, holding her firmly, pressing her soft bottom into his hardening length. As he continued to kiss her neck and nuzzle the sensitive skin behind her ear, he ran his thumb across her nipple, before palming her entire breast and slowly and deliberately plucking her aroused flesh, making her softly groan his name.

Hearing her soft exclamations of passion ratcheted up Steff’s own arousal exponentially. He exhaled jaggedly in her ear, his voice low and rough with yearning, _“Kitten”_ as he thrust against her, powerless to stop, “ ** _Bed. Now._** ” Raw desire ached in his voice, **_“Please.”_**

Andie grasped his head in both her hands, nodding, mindless with want as she kissed him deeply. _Yes, yes, yes, **now.**_ She broke from the kiss to whisper roughly in his ear, eager hunger thrumming in her voice, “ _I like it when you say_ **_‘Please, Kitten_** ’” Processing that erotic declaration was the last conscious thought Steff was capable of for a while, becoming utterly consumed with craving.

Steff later had no recollection of how they even made it to his room. They could have teleported there for all he knew. All he was cognizant of was the blazing look of wanton desire in Andie’s eyes, burning straight through him. Gazing into their molten depths, his mouth went dry and he could feel control slipping away. Andie’s fingers swiftly and deftly flew through his buttons and she had him out of his shirt so fast, he wasn’t even really cognizant of it happening; he was only aware of the excruciating bliss of her hands roaming over his chest, her face nuzzling in his chest hair, inhaling deeply as she kissed her way across from peak to sensitive peak. **_Christ!_**

Blindly, clothes were divested until they both fell into bed, their underwear being the only barriers left. Andie rolled swiftly on top of Steff, reveling in the sensation of Steff’s chest hair against her naked breasts, as she straddled him, slowly and deliberately riding him, making him mindless, sliding herself up and down his erection, getting herself there. He pulled her down for a fiery possessive kiss, his hands moving to grasp her bottom as he thrust up against her core.

“ _Steff,_ please” she begged against his mouth, taking his right hand and sliding it into her panties, **“** _ **touch** me_ ” she cried, desperate with need. She tore her mouth away, her chest heaving, laboring for breath, her cries of passion drowning out all thought.

“ _This what you want, Kitten?_ ” Steff whispered roughly in her ear, holding her in place with his left hand on her bottom, not allowing her to move, as with his right he commenced sliding over her slickened, pulsating flesh, rubbing her throbbing, swollen bundle of nerves slowly, so _achingly slowly_ , before deftly sliding one long digit into her snug passage, causing Andie to gasp and cry out his name in pleasure.

**_Sweet Jesus, Kitten!_ **

Every fiber of Steff’s being became concentrated solely on the sensations surrounding that one finger. He moaned aloud, the growl emanating from deep within his soul, his existence coming into razor sharp focus around his future wife, and her enflamed, tight, drippingly aroused flesh surrounding his finger. “ ** _Jesus, Kitten!_** ” Steff cried out, stunned by the reaction she was causing in him.

Andie came apart, crying his name over and over, plunging herself down on him, riding the waves of ecstasy, mindless with desire. As she shuddered and clenched around him, Steff’s orgasm slammed through him, the sensations being triggered by Andie’s flesh on his hand transferring to his engorged manhood only centimeters away. “ _Oh **God,** Andie!_ ” he groaned loudly, as he pumped endlessly against her, his climax rolling on and on, until they were both breathless, drained, spent.

Andie collapsed on top of him – probably even passed out there for a minute or two, she couldn’t really be sure. _Le petit morte._ After long minutes, she struggled up onto her hands, staring dazedly down in to Steff’s equally dazed eyes, blinking slowly and shaking her head in stunned disbelief.

_“What do you say we start talking about setting a wedding date, Kitten”_ he breathed.

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

A/N: Thank you to everyone who is still reading this fic! Although I’m starting to worry that’s it’s getting a bit long! Lol! Leave me a review and let me know what you think!


	27. Chapter 27

Andie, dazed and breathless, her breathing still labored, glanced at the clock on the nightstand and nodding, her right eyebrow raised, remarked, “Well, I’m free right **_now.”_**

Steff laughed, pulling her in to his chest, and kissing her silly. At last he rolled them over to their sides, arms and legs still entwined, and they spent long minutes caressing each other, staring into one another’s eyes, whispering how much in love they were.

Steff lovingly brushed the hair back from Andie’s face and swallowed hard. His gears were still blown from what had just happened. “That was pretty amazing, Kitten” love shining from his eyes. “That’s never happened to me before, even _with_ someone else in the room.”

Andie laughed. “Glad I get the chance to be _your_ first in at least one respect” she said smiling.

The levity disappeared from Steff’s eyes. “Kitten,” he said solemnly, “you’re my first in every respect that _counts.”_ He tenderly kissed her. “More importantly, you’re going to be my **_last_** in _every_ respect.”

Andie’s eyes filled with tears, a few escaping. She nodded, caressing his face, and kissed him again. “I love you so much, Steff” she whispered.

Steff gathered her even closer in his arms, kissing her forehead, holding her tight. He inhaled deeply, “I love you, Kitten. _So much_. I cannot wait until you are Mrs. Steff McKee.”

Andie’s heart jumped at hearing him refer to her by what would be her married name. She nestled closer in to his chest. Any closer and she would be on the other side of him. “I cannot wait to **_be_** Mrs. Steff McKee” she said softly.

“So when you say you can’t wait – how long are we talking?” Steff asked, a casual note in his voice, his mind churning with possibilities. “When’s the soonest you would be willing to become mine until death do us part?”

Andie smiled against his chest, “What time ya got?”

Steff chuckled, kissing her head and squeezing her tight. “Be serious, Kitten. Don’t derail me when I’m in full-blown planning mode” he said, smiling.

Andie leaned up on one elbow and kissed him. Caressing his face, and falling into his stunning eyes she said softly, “As **_soon_** as you ask, I will say yes. And if you happen to have a preacher standing right there when you do it, then we can get married right then and there.” She smoothed his hair back from his brow, “I don’t care about a ring, dress, flowers, reception, any of that. I just care about you.”

Steff’s heart was full to bursting. _Thank you, God,_ he prayed.

As the night wore on, they kissed and hugged, giggled and sighed, talked and silently fell into one another. You know, just another night in Paradise. After they had their final Goodnight kiss, Steff lay awake, holding Andie snugly in his arms, thinking about the future. However, tonight, instead of building her house in his mind, he began to construct a wedding. As he listened to her breathing slow and deepen, a plan began to form. _And I love it when a plan comes together_ he smiled, as he fell asleep.

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

 

“Hold still, Baby. I don’t want to get this shit in your eyes” Andie’s brow was furrowed in concentration as she applied white pancake make up to Steff’s face. Steff sat still, even though his nose itched like crazy, and he was dying to scratch it. It was Halloween and Andie was putting Steff’s Joker make up on, having already sprayed the green hair color in his hair. “Here, do your lips like this” pursing hers, to show him what she needed him to do. Steff was secretly getting a large kick out of having Andie fuss over him, even if he was pretty sure he was going to end up looking like the world’s ugliest drag queen by the time she got done with him.

“Okay” she said at last, stepping back and regarding him closely, “I think we’re done. Go take a look.”

Steff removed the towel she had draped over him to protect his costume, and shrugged into the purple cut-away coat-and-tails Andie had made for him. He had to admit, the purple suit she had made for him looked _fucking awesome._ Steff was blown away by Andie’s sewing and design talent, and had made sure to tell her, his effusive yet sincere praise making her blush. He straightened the coat and stepped up to the mirror to get the full effect for the first time.

Steff was speechless. At first glance, he was The Joker, which would make everyone smile in delight, evoking pleasant memories of the ’66 TV show. But when you looked again, there was something goddam terrifying about him, something that caught your eye, yet you couldn’t quite put your finger on what it was. Something sinister and dark, and fucking scary as shit. Steff’s eyes widened in shock. “What did you _do_ to me?” he asked in wonder, meeting Andie’s eyes in the mirror.

Andie smiled, admiring her handiwork. “I have a long standing, deep seated fear of clowns” she admitted. “They scare the shit outta me.” She fussed around him, straightening his tie and waistcoat, smoothing down his lapels. “I hate the circus, and I will never take our children, just so you know” she added. “It’s Halloween, so I made you into a scarier version of The Joker. So what do you think?”

_“It’s **great!** ”_ he clapped his purple gloved hands, and laughed, giving a very credible imitation of Caesar Romero’s “Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!” Joker laugh. “We could go rob a bank later!”

Andie laughed, pleased that he liked his costume. “Okay, you can stop now. You’re scaring the crap outta me” she smiled in delight. “Your lapel flower actually squirts water; there’s a little hidden pocket for the water container in here” she said, patting the underside of the lapel. “You can take it out and refill it if you need to.” She showed him how to trigger the squirting mechanism on the flower, and Steff was impressed to see that it had a good 4 foot arc. “Where did you get this?” he asked.

“From the theater department at school. Cool, huh? And here” she said, handing him a tube of lipstick, “put that in your pocket in case we need to do touch up.” She shooed him out of the bedroom, “Okay, scoot. I gotta get dressed, or we’re gonna be late.”

When Andie emerged 15 minutes later, Steff just sat there dumbfounded for a good 30 seconds, staring in astonishment at the green goddess that was Andie masquerading as Poison Ivy. He inhaled raggedly, his eyes roaming hungrily over her, as he instantly became rock-hard. She had on a satin corset of a deep, emerald green, that was laced up the back with forest green ribbon. She wore a pair of black satin boy-shorts, with fishnet stockings of the palest green, that terminated in dark green ankle boots with 3” heels. Her elbow length gloves were of the same deep emerald green as her corset, and she had tendrils of ivy snaking up her arms and across her shoulders, and around her calves. Her breasts were plump and presented fetchingly at the top of the corset, making Steff’s mouth go dry. Through her red hair ran a garland of ivy that trailed down her back, and when she turned for Steff to get the full effect of the costume, the trailing ivy garland swayed hypnotically right above her ass.

_**Jesus Christ** , Kitten._

Andie posed and twirled, turning her back to Steff and popping her hip out, and staring seductively over her shoulder, her eyebrow raised, huskily asked “So what do you think?” Her eyes flashed mischievously.

_I think I’m gonna end up having to kick every guy’s ass in a five mile radius, **that’s** what I think._

Steff nodded, pursing his lips, running his tongue over his teeth, thinking. “You look cold.” He said at last, swallowing hard. “Don’t you want to put on, I don’t know, like, a bathrobe or something? I don’t want you to get sick.”

Andie’s eyes narrowed, seeing right through this very lame ploy, and shook her head. “I have my big strong man to keep me warm. I’m not worried” she said, laughter in her eyes.

Steff slowly blinked and shook his head. “You look amazing, Kitten. Enough to make any man turn to a life of crime.”

Andie smiled and kissed him. She tapped one long gloved finger on his lapel and gazed up into his eyes seductively. “Life sentence, with no hope for parole headed your way, buddy.”

Steff placed his wrists together in a pantomime of being handcuffed and held them out to Andie, “Take me away now ma’am. I’m ready to start repaying my debt to society.”

“Seventy years, at hard labor” she smiled, devilishly.

“ ** _Very_** hard” Steff agreed, wagging his eyebrows, smiling.

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

 

As they waited in line to get into Andie’s favorite dive bar, Cats, they enjoyed the compliments of the other partiers in line. Steff began to relax, hoping that maybe he had over-reacted to Andie’s stunning appearance. They stepped to the front of the line and Steff paid the cover charge. Dice, the bouncer, took one look at Andie, and went into full blown Dice Man mode.

**_“Whoa!_** What have we got **_here?_** ” he asked, leering at Andie and snapping his lighter and lighting a cigarette. He leaned in close to her, his eyes raking up and down. “A little Poison Ivy? I would _love_ to roll around in a patch of **_you!”_** He blew smoke in Andie’s face, “You’re giving me an itch that needs scratching!”

Andie pressed her lips together, revulsion on her face, and took a step back, grabbing Steff’s arm.

“ _Hoo-hoo-hoo-hooooo!_ ” Steff’s maniacal Joker laughter cut through the noise of the crowd, and all heads turned towards him. “ _She **is** delightful, isn’t she?_ ” he cackled in a terrifying voice. Dice’s head snapped to Steff, who put a very firm finger in Dice’s chest a gave a hard push backwards, knocking him back a step. “ _But you have to watch her, she’s **Poison** to every man but me!_ ” Dice stared open mouthed at the Lunatic Joker, and then back at Andie who was gazing adoringly at the madman. The Joker then squirted Dice in the eye with his lapel flower and grabbed Andie’s hand and pushed past him, stopping long enough to say in a low, menacing voice, “You **_ever_** talk to my girl like that again, and you’re gonna find out just how fucking crazy I can be” before disappearing into the crowd.

Steff led them to an empty table and Andie threw her arms around him and kissed him deeply. When she pulled back from the kiss, there was such an aroused light in her eyes that it took Steff’s breath away. She looked up at him with a look that could only be described as pure, unadulterated lust. She inhaled deeply, her eyes never leaving his, communicating everything she wanted to do to him in that one look. No words were necessary. Predictably, every drop of blood in Steff’s body raced straight to his groin.

_Oh, Kitten._

“What have we here, old chum?” a voice broke through their passionate reverie. “Could it be two of Gotham’s most dastardly criminal masterminds?” Steff and Andie turned to see Duckie, with his hands on his utility belt, striking what was intended as a heroic pose, dressed as the world’s smallest Batman.

“Gosh, yes, Batman” Robin said, pounding one gloved fist into his open hand. “Should we take them in?” Iona’s accent (and her breasts) giving her away as the not-quite-a Boy Wonder.

“Well, let’s have a drink first” Batman said reasonably.

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated. Please let me know what you think!


	28. Chapter 28

Andie squealed with joy _“Duckie!”_ and hugged him tight, as Iona and Steff, a _tad_ more sedately, also hugged hello. Andie and Iona did the girl thing where they jumped up and down and hugged and acted as though they hadn’t seen one another in a million years. After a moment of Criminal – Crime Fighter faux tough-guy posturing, Steff and Duckie shook hands. Then Duckie motioned him with both hands to come closer, saying, “Come here, my brutha’!” and embraced him warmly. Steff was oddly touched by the familiar display.

Iona was busy doling out effusive praise about their costumes, “Holy Sinful Seamstress, Batman! It’s that trickiest of tailors, Andie!”

Andie laughed, shaking her head. “You’re not gonna do that all night, are you Robin?” she asked Iona, grinning.

“Holy Here We Go Again” said Duckie, rolling his eyes.

“Gosh, Batman! If you ever want me to get your ‘atomic battery to power’ and your ‘turbines to speed’ again, you’ll get in the Holy Halloween Spirit!” Iona said playfully, while pointing a gloved finger at the Caped Crusader.

“See?” Duckie deadpanned, nudging Steff and nodding in Iona’s direction, “this is why Superman works alone.”

Steff clapped his hands and laughed in maniacal delight, _this is gonna be hilarious._

The Clown Prince of Crime held the chair out for Andie, “Your Herbal Majesty” he cackled, getting into the spirit of things. The Dynamic Duo likewise took their seats and Steff waved the waitress over, a statuesque brunette dressed as Wonder Woman.

Wonder Woman looked them all over, her gaze lingering on Iona with a particularly devilish gleam in her eye. “Well, hello there, Boy Wonder” she purred.

Steff crowed in his best Joker voice, “Well if it isn’t the Amazonian Antidote! We may need to borrow your bracelets later – we’re planning on getting bullet proof!”

Andie put her forehead in her hand, and shook her head, groaning.

Duckie leaned over to Steff, nodding towards their waitress, and muttered (not quite as quietly as he imagined) “I’d like to get a ride in _her_ invisible plane”

Wonder Woman raised her eyebrow at Duckie. “Holy Contributing To The Delinquency of a Minor” she said flatly, “does Alfred know you’re out of the Bat Cave this late?” She then turned a dazzling smile on Iona. **_“You,_** on the other hand, I’d like to tie up with my golden lasso.”

Robin pounded his fist into his open left hand and then quickly pointed his left index finger at the waitress. “Gosh, Miss” he said earnestly, “Batman and I _have_ to stick together. We’re a package deal - the Mis-matched Masters of Mayhem!”

Andie grinned at Steff, who was enjoying the proceedings immensely, “Holy ménage a´ twat” she laughed.

Steff threw his head back and roared laughter.

They ordered drinks and sent Wonder Woman on her way. The Amazon Princess returned shortly and gave them their libations, lingering long enough to bend down and whisper something in Iona’s ear. Iona’s eyes grew wide and then she looked at Wonder Woman with a speculative gleam in her eye. “Holy Jaw Breaker” she said with a sly grin. Duckie looked, by turns, alarmed and intrigued.

“So I gotta ask” Steff began, “why Robin instead of Catwoman?”

Iona leaned across the table and said conspiratorially, “He _paid_ me to wear the outfit!”

“Hey, we’re Batman and Robin! We go together like breaking and entering!” Duckie explained.

“I think he just wants to do me later while I’m wearing the costume” Iona laughed.

Andie clapped her hands over her eyes, laughing, and shrilly exclaimed “ _Stop raping my childhood!_ ”

“Halloween makes strange bedfellows” Steff toasted laughing, holding his drink aloft. “Happy Halloween to criminals and crime fighters, alike!”

Duckie added laughing, “And besides, your childhood was dressed slutty and asking for it”

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Three drinks later (for everyone except Steff, who had switched to Coke) and Duckie was half in the bag. He stood up, weaving slightly, and with a flourish, swept his cape behind him, “C’mon Paisan Ivy, let’s dance! I’ll teach you how to Batusi!”

Andie grinned at Steff, shrugging, and leaned over and gave him a kiss. “Be right back J-man” she said adoringly, and got up to go dance with Duckie.

Iona took the opportunity to slide into Andie’s vacated seat. She took Steff’s gloved hand in hers and smiled at him. “I’ve never seen my little girl so happy” she said. “Ugh! She’s so in **_love!”_** she added, laughing, “And I’m so jealous!”

Steff beamed, putting his arm around Iona and giving her a squeeze, kissing her on the cheek. “She’s the very best thing that’s ever happened to me. I’m the luckiest guy in the world.”

Iona put her head on Steff’s shoulder and they both watch Batman and Poison Ivy clowning around on the dance floor. Duckie had everyone around him doing the Batusi; Elvira and Dracula, Indiana Jones and a slutty looking nurse, a sequined jump-suited Elvis and a slutty cop. Iona pointed at the slutty nurse, who was shaking her groove thing at Duckie and said “She must be the head nurse.”

Steff looked at Iona puzzled, lighting a smoke. “What? How can you tell?”

“Dirty knees” Iona replied knowingly, nodding, one eyebrow raised.

Steff began to choke on the smoke in his lungs, laughing. After his throat cleared, he asked casually, “So do you have any plans Christmas Eve?”

Iona regarded him, a speculative gaze in her eyes and smiled knowingly.

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

 

A slow song began to play and Duckie took Andie in his arms for a slow dance. He smiled adoringly at her. “I can see how happy you are” he said, nodding deliberately.

Andie’s smile lit up her eyes, her face, her entire being. Duckie actually blinked rapidly, as though the brilliance were hurting his eyes. “ _I love him_ , Duckie” she said simply, a wealth of sentiment being expressed in those few words.

“He loves you too.” Duckie nodded, glancing over at The Joker, who was deep in conversation with the Boy Wonder. “I approve. And _this_ time I mean it” Duckie added. _This one’s not a pussy like that faggot Blane._

Andie laughed. “I appreciate that, sweetie.” She looked at him for a moment before wading in “So what’s going on between you and Iona?”

Duckie swallowed and glanced up at the ceiling, a bit uncomfortable. He had loved Andie for so long, that it felt disloyal to even acknowledge having feelings for another woman.

Andie pressed, “Are you _happy?”_

Duckie opened his mouth to answer, but then closed it, considering. At last, he smiled, nodding. “You know what? _Yes!_ Yes, I am!” he laughed. “And she doesn’t even _have_ to wear the Robin costume!” He leaned in closely and said in a confidential tone, “And just so you know, the costumes were **_her_** idea!”

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

An immutable fact of life: chicks go to the bathroom in pairs. So when Duckie and Andie returned to the table, Iona stood up and declared “Holy Spandex Wedgie, Ivy, _I gotta pee!”_

Steff good naturedly pointed a gloved finger at Duckie and said “I absolutely forbid you to make any jokes about watering the Ivy”

“Oh, **_man”_** Duckie said dejectedly.

“Have another drink, old chum” Steff chuckled, motioning Wonder Woman back over. “The way Wonder Woman has been eyeing your date, you may be taking on a Dynamic Duo of a completely different sort later on. Better drink up. You might see things you’ve never seen before.”

Duckie tossed back the remains of his drink and ordered another. “Where’s Robin?” Wonder Woman asked.

Steff grinned. “She and Poison Ivy are in the Little Criminals Room”

Wonder Woman set her tray down on their table. “Be right back” she said determinedly, as she turned and walked doggedly towards the restroom.

Steff and Duckie looked at each other, eyebrows raised. _“Damn,_ the help in this place is something else” Steff remarked. “Fucking Bouncer was coming on to Andie; thought I was gonna have to kick his ass, and now our waitress is in the bathroom trying to get in Iona’s utility belt.” He shook his head, bemusedly, _this place is nuts._

Wonder Woman returned shortly thereafter, a sly, seductive look on her face. She looked at Duckie and smiled enigmatically and picked up her tray and went about her rounds. Duckie glanced at Steff, _what did that mean?_ Steff held up his hands and shrugged, _beats the hell outta me._ Iona and Andie returned to the table about the same time that Wonder Woman did with the next round of drinks. Wonder Woman nodded and winked conspiratorially at Iona.

“Holy Reverse Polarity!” Robin exclaimed, while Poison Ivy laughed, landing in The Joker’s lap. “You guys oughta see that bathroom!”

“Do they have the little candy machines like the girl’s room at school?” Batman asked.

Ivy snorted, shaking her head. “It’s Sodom and Gomorrah in there. Seriously, I need to rinse my eyeballs.”

Steff’s eyebrows rose, and he looked quizzically in Andie’s eyes. “Were you okay in there, Kitten?” he asked, concern etching his voice.

Andie wrapped her arms around him and kissed him, smiling. “Yeah, I had my own Caped Crusader there to defend my virtue.”

Steff raised his right eyebrow, awaiting further explanation. When none was forthcoming, he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and whispered in her ear “I want to take you home now.” A sudden thought occurred to him. “What was Wonder Woman doing in there?”

“Trying to get into Iona’s utility belt. Iona had to threaten to spray her with her Bat Shark Repellent” she laughed, shuddering.

Steff inhaled deeply, shaking his head. He kissed her softly. Then he turned up the heat by degrees, tasting the rum and coke on Andie’s lips. Kept kissing her until she very subtly began to squirm the tiniest bit on his lap. As he kissed her, Steff applied an almost imperceptible amount of pressure to Andie’s hips, ever so slightly pressing her down, rotating her slightly, rubbing her gently against him. He broke from the kiss and turned the full heat of his bedroom eyes on her. Andie inhaled sharply, her eyes dilating in desire and she felt a sudden pooling of heat and moisture at her center. He leaned in, nuzzling her ear, and whispered roughly, “ _ **Bed. Now,** Kitten._ ”

Andie nodded, exhaling raggedly and blinking slowly, her eyes clouded with passion.

Robin gave Batman a kiss, “Holy Jitterbugs, Batman! Let’s dance!”

“Right you are, old chum” Batman declared, tossing back his drink and standing a trifle unsteadily, his cape waving in the breeze he was creating. “But before we do, I want to propose a toast!”

Andie and Steff reluctantly turned their attention to Duckie, who was standing, drink raised in preparation. “I want to proproashe… popose… **_propose_** a toast to the newest member of our family, Steff”

Steff’s eyebrows raised in surprise, and he waited expectantly to hear the rest of Duckie’s toast.

“We didn’t get off to the greatest start, but I’m glad you’re here now. I’m glad Andie has you in her life. I’m glad you’re in _our_ lives now.” He smiled at Steff, and looked in turn at Andie and Iona, both of whom had tears in their eyes. “Welcome to the family, Steff”

They all clinked glasses and drank. Steff’s heart was filled with love for Andie and her weird, quirky, wonderful family.

Iona proclaimed, “We go together like ‘ _Drunk and Disorderly’!_ ”

_“Like ‘Aiding and Abetting_ ” added Andie.

Duckie nodded, _“Like Assault and Battery!”_

Everyone looked at him like he’d fallen from the ceiling of the Bat Cave and landed on his pointy little cowl. Duckie rolled his eyes, “Okay, so my usual elucidative skills are a bit beyond me at this point in time. I’ll think of something brilliant the next time you see me.”

They all laughed. Steff was touched; really, truly and deeply touched by the love and acceptance he felt from Andie’s friends. For an only child to suddenly be awash in sibling love was a delightful experience for him.

Iona looked at Duckie, who was starting to appear a trifle green around the mask. “You okay there, old chum?”

Duckie held up one hand, nodding. Abruptly, he turned and sprinted across the bar to the men’s room.

“Holy Hard-on” Iona muttered rolling her eyes, “we’re screwed.”

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.


	29. Chapter 29

As loathe as he was to get intimately involved in Duckie’s alcohol induced distress, even an only child recognized that you don’t let your “brutha” puke his guts out without remaining somewhere in the vicinity, even if only to prevent him from ending up face down in a toxic mixture of urine and vomit, consequently forever despoiling his cowl and cape. Thus, Steff found himself in the unenviable position of cooling his heels in the men’s room while Duckie prayed to the porcelain god. _Now I know what he meant about Superman working alone,_ he mused.

“You okay in there, Duckie?” he asked after a couple of minutes had passed without the melodious sounds of retching.

A low moan echoed off the porcelain tiles. Steff shook his head and rolled his eyes. _“Don’t_ make me come in there, man” he said, humor in his voice. _**Please** don’t_ , he added inwardly.

More vomiting, then silence. After a moment, Duckie remarked conversationally, “I don’t remember eating **_that.”_**

Steff laughed silently, his shoulders shaking with the effort of not making any noise. At last he cleared his throat and said “Hey man, I’m pretty sure Wonder Woman has absconded with both our dates – you wanna hurry it up in there?”

Duckie flushed the toilet and re-appeared outside the stall, looking none the worse for wear. Steff was impressed; he didn’t even have any splash back on him. “I must say Duckman, you are the _neatest_ thrower-upper I’ve ever run across.”

Duckie smirked, “I’m a man of many talents” as he went to the sink to rinse his mouth out and wash his hands and face.

“Well, let’s see if we can’t one day add ‘Can hold his liquor’ to that list” Steff said grinning.

“You’re not gonna tell the girls about this are you?” Duckie asked, meeting Steff’s eyes in the mirror.

“I think the US Supreme Court has upheld that what happens in the men’s room is covered under Super Hero/Arch Villain privilege. It’s like the attorney/client confidentiality thing, but with cooler outfits” Steff nodded.

Duckie blinked owlishly.

“Secret’s safe with me” Steff illuminated. Duckie rolled his eyes and sighed in relief. “Just tell them you got an urgent call from Commissioner Gordon” Steff added.

Duckie laughed. As he finished drying his hands, he asked, “So when’s the wedding?”

Steff was mildly taken aback; Duckie was more perceptive than he gave him credit for. “You sober enough to talk about this now?”

Duckie nodded, a serious look on his face.

Steff looked him in the eye, “Understand, that what I’m about to tell you is still covered under Super Hero/Arch Villain bathroom privilege. So you can’t say _anything._ Not even to Iona.”

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

 

It took Steff three rounds of ‘lather, rinse, repeat’ to get the green spray-on hair coloring out of his hair, and a substantial amount of scrubbing to get the clown makeup off. _I wonder if Quick and Easy Makeup Removal is a class at clown college_ , he mused when everything reverted to its original color and he was finally able to get out of the shower. When he at last made it to bed, Andie was sitting up in bed with her sketch pad, drawing something.

“Whatcha workin’ on, Kitten?” he asked, as he walked by, toweling off his hair.

Andie glanced up at him and felt her throat tighten, and her mouth go dry. Steff had on a pair of pajama bottoms, but no shirt, and Andie’s total attention was riveted by the sight of Steff’s athletic shoulders and muscular arms, rubbing the towel through his hair. Her gaze roamed over his lean, but well-developed chest, her fingers itching to run through his chest hair. She stared in stark desire at his torso, inhaling raggedly as she was particularly drawn to the muscles in his abdomen and the line of dark blond hair trailing from his navel down into his pajama bottoms, which hung loosely, low on his hip bones. Andie blinked several times and swallowed hard, her eyes dilating in desire, as she felt her nipples harden in response.

Andie tossed her sketchbook aside, and got out of bed in one fluid motion, stalking predatorily toward Steff, a stark hunger in her eyes which never left his body. Steff had his back to the bed and still had the towel over his head, so he didn’t hear her coming, giving a small jump in surprise when he felt her hands at the small of his back. Andie stepped close into him, peppering the back of his neck with kisses as her hands roamed up his back, dragging her nails lightly across his skin, making him shiver in reaction, the sensation rocketing straight to his groin.

_“Kitten?”_ he whispered hoarsely, as her hands encircled his chest from behind, squeezing and kneading his pectoral muscles before plucking and gently rolling his nipples between her thumbs and forefingers. _Jesus Christ, Kitten._ Steff grew painfully aroused, his manhood lengthening and hardening, as his breathing became labored. Andie lightly dragged her nails down his ribcage and across his stomach as she continued to kiss his neck, stopping here and there to draw his flesh into her mouth and gently suck. Steff inhaled sharply, clenching his fists, and concentrated on resisting the urge to toss Andie on the bed and plunder her secrets. _Wedding night, **wedding night**_ , he painfully reminded himself. His erection wasn’t listening though.

Andie circled around in front of him, running her hands up and down his muscular arms, her gaze pouring over his chest, his stomach, and finally coming to rest on his impressive erection, proudly jutting out as though seeking her regard. Andie’s face was transfixed in arousal, her lips parted and her face flushed, her eyes ravenous with passion as she inhaled and exhaled raggedly.

Andie slowly blinked and deliberately shook her head, “ _You are so **beautiful**_ **”** she whispered, as she stepped into his embrace, running her hands up his arms to entwine around his neck, as his erection pressed insistently into her belly. Steff groaned into her mouth as their lips met and Andie kissed him deeply, his large hands grasping her bottom and pulling her up, pressing her firmly into him, as his hips thrust involuntarily, seeking contact. Andie softly cried out, moisture and heat flooding her center, as she slowly ground against him, her body relentlessly pursuing release.

After long minutes, Andie ended the kiss and stepped unsteadily back from him, her chest heaving, and her heart pounding in her ears, as she looked in his eyes, naked want etched on her face. _“Lie down, Steff”_ she said in a low voice, desire thrumming through her words, longing evident in her eyes, “ _I want to look at you._ ” She paused and inhaled deeply, dragging her nails down his erection through his pajama bottoms, and then pressed her palm into his length, drawing her fingers up and down his manhood, tracing over the sensitive head over and over, as her smoldering eyes burned into his. Steff hissed, inhaling sharply, his hips jerking in response as she continued her innocent, yet passionate explorations, “ _I want to touch you_ ” she breathed, her searing gaze never leaving his as she continued to stroke him through the barrier of his pajamas.

_Yes, yes, **yes**_ **,** Steff nodded mindlessly, as he pulled her back into his embrace, kissing her as a starving man before a banquet, as they fell into bed. Andie rolled on top of him, continuing the kiss as she slowly undulated on top of him, before ending the kiss and sliding down and coming to rest next to him. She began to stroke him again through his pajamas, drawing her nails from his heavy sac all the way up his burgeoning length, as she kissed and sucked her way up his neck.

“ _Jesus **Christ,** Kitten”_ Steff moaned, crazed with need, frantic with yearning, his fists clenched in the sheets, as he thrust repeatedly against her hand, powerless to stop.

Andie’s hand slid inside his pajamas, grasping his swollen flesh, touching him directly for the very first time, causing Steff to gasp and cry out, his eyes rolling back in his head, as Andie caressed his rock hard member, marveling at the feeling of silk over steel. “ _Is **this** what you want, Steff?_ ” she asked, her voice dripping with desire as she slid her hand slowly down his length and back again, causing Steff’s lungs to seize up, and his heart to clench as though it was about to burst. Andie gently took his earlobe between her teeth and suckled it as she continued to stroke Steff’s engorged length, causing him to groan and swell even further, moaning her name, his impassioned entreaties for release making her ache for her own.

Steff had lost all control, the sensation of Andie’s warm hand encircling his arousal was too much, his climax looming large. He grasped Andie’s head, plunging his hands into her hair as he sought her mouth, his tongue invading her mouth deeply, unconsciously mimicking the same actions she was eliciting in other areas. He felt the familiar tightening deep in his belly, his release beginning to barrel forth, as Andie continued to work him over, her hand sliding over his slickened flesh, an overwhelming frenzy overtaking him. **“** _ **Now,** Steff. **Please** come for me, baby_ ” Andie begged against his mouth as she desperately rubbed her aching, wet, swollen flesh against his hip, throbbing in a fevered torment of her own.

Her heated plea was his undoing. “ _Oh **God,** Andie_ ” Steff cried out against her mouth, as his orgasm slammed through him, a blinding light throbbing through his veins and behind his eyes, as his climax pulsated endlessly on and on. As he pumped relentlessly into Andie’s hand, he was transported to a different level of consciousness; one where there was only blissful release, an all-encompassing love. There was only Andie; his alpha and omega, and his whole perception of existence revolved solely around her.

As his orgasm rolled on, Steff fell into Andie, kissing her deeply, breathing her in, indelibly imprinting this moment in his mind. His hand fell from her hair and trailed slowly down between them to slide easily into Andie’s pajama bottoms. _Oh, **yes**_ **,** he thought, mindless with want, his fingers tracing over her scalding hot, throbbing, flesh. Andie moaned, crying out softly, desperate for release, rubbing herself against Steff’s hand, aching for relief. Echoing her words to him, Steff whispered against Andie’s lips, **“** _ **Now,** Kitten. Come for **me.**_ **”** As he slowly rubbed her throbbing bundle of nerves, Steff slid a finger into Andie’s tight passage, and she cried out and flew apart around his hand, sobbing his name as he stroked her enflamed flesh into a heated frenzy, culminating in a blinding, powerful release.

As they both crested the summit of passion, they stared into each other’s eyes, breathing raggedly, hearts full to bursting with love, both drowning and flying at the same time. Steff gathered Andie tightly into his arms, his lungs heaving in exertion, compulsively squeezing her firmly into his chest, unable to bear the thought of letting her go. Steff whispered “ _God, I love you_ ” over and over, their ragged breathing the only other sound in the room.

It was a long time before they returned to this part of the galaxy, much less planet Earth. They lay ensconced in each other’s arms, kissing deeply, breathing one another in, utterly lost in the other. At long last Steff blinked slowly, gazing tenderly into Andie’s eyes. “ _I love you so much, Kitten_ ” he breathed, his eyes filling with unshed tears as he brushed her hair back from her eyes. “Every day I love you more” he said, kissing her softly. “I don’t even understand how that’s _possible,_ but it’s true; I love you more every day than I did the day before” he whispered, a note of wonder in his voice, adoration shining from his eyes.

Andie fell into his beautiful sapphire eyes, “You’re everything to me, Steff” she breathed. “I didn’t know it was possible to love another person as much as I love you” she whispered, as she lightly caressed his face, stroking his cheek, gently tracing her fingers over his full lips, then kissing him. “I want to spend every minute of every day of the rest of my life with you” kissing him again and again.

Steff inhaled deeply, smiling in contentment, as an overpowering sense of fulfillment, and a deep peace overtook him. And the crazy powerful orgasm he’d experienced earlier didn’t hurt matters either. As he cuddled into Andie’s arms he murmured “Be ready to go after your last class Monday, Kitten.”

“Where are we going?” Andie yawned sleepily.

“ _County courthouse for a marriage license_ ” Steff replied, as he fell into a deep sleep.

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.  
A/N: Thanks for reading!


	30. Chapter 30

Steff held the door open for Andie as they entered the County Courthouse, and asked, smiling, “Nervous, Kitten?”

  
She smiled up at him adoringly, “Nope!”

  
Steff nodded, putting his arm around her and pulling her close and kissing the side of her head, “That’s my girl; my brave Kitten has the heart of a lion.”

  
Andie laughed, “Bravery has nothing to do with it, Baby. That’s how I’ve known that _this”_ she made a twirling motion between them, indicating the two of them, “has been right every step of the way. Because I’ve never _once_ been afraid the whole time we’ve been together.”

  
Steff’s heart swelled with love. And something else; a feeling akin to pride. Andie made him feel like a **_man;_** the way she looked at him, the manner in which she spoke to him, she made him feel as though there was _nothing_ he couldn’t do. She made him feel powerful; her love made him invincible, and he was both humbled and awed by the experience. He stopped walking and gathered her into his arms, kissing her deeply, mindless of the stares and grumbling of the folks trying to walk around them. They kissed for long, long moments, at last, pulling back and staring into each other’s eyes, breathless with love.

  
“ _Would you two get a room?_ ” a grouchy old broad said, as she stomped past.

  
“Can’t,” Steff replied smiling, “Gotta get a license first” never looking away from Andie’s eyes.

  
The grouchy old lady remarked as she continued down the hallway, “Then get a move on and follow me. Young love gets to move to the front of the line.” The grouchy old lady was impressed by the implication that they were waiting until they got married to “get a room”. Practically nobody waiting until they were married anymore. Probably one of the reasons why the world was going to hell in a hand basket, if you asked her.

  
Steff and Andie followed her back to her desk and filled out the paperwork. While they were waiting for it to be processed, Andie asked “How long is the license good for?”

  
Mrs. Gunderson, who was in reality, not at all grouchy, just rather impatient when facing an impediment to hallway egress, smiled at Andie and said, “It’s good for 90 days. Be sure and take the license with you to the wedding and give it to the minister and have them fill it out and mail it in.”

  
Another clerk brought over the finished License, which was rather fancy looking, printed on thick, heavy paper with scroll writing on it, and presented it to Mrs. Gunderson, who looked it over and then gave it to Steff. She watched the way Steff and Andie both leaned in to read it, the excitement evident on their faces as they finished reading it and then gazed at each other, their love for each other shining in their eyes. _These two are gonna make it_ , she thought, nodding. There was always a particular sense of satisfaction in being able to spot the couples who had _the real thing,_ and in 30 years of issuing marriage licenses, Mrs. Gunderson was very rarely wrong when it came to being able to determine which couples had what it took to make a marriage work, and which ones were just practicing until their next trip in to see her.

  
“So when’s the big day?” she asked.

  
Andie shrugged, smiling. “You’ll have to ask the man with the plan” she nodded playfully at Steff.

  
Mrs. Gunderson’s eyebrows raised, and she looked expectantly at Steff.

  
Steff stood up and held his hand out, helping Andie to her feet and assisted her into her coat. “Ready to go grab some dinner, Kitten?” As Andie turned to get her arm in the sleeve, Steff looked at Mrs. Gunderson and silently mouthed the wedding date to her. Mrs. Gunderson smiled, _Oh, I knew it – that’s **so** romantic_. She remarked, “Well, you kids don’t wait too long – like I said, the license is only good for 90 days. After that, you’ll have to come back in and get another one.”

  
Steff smiled and asked, “Should we send your invitation here?”

  
Mrs. Gunderson beamed at them. _If I was 50 years younger I’d marry you myself_ , she thought. “That would be lovely, dear! You are so thoughtful!”

  
Andie laughed. “When you get the invitation, would you mind calling me and letting me know when and where to show up?”

  
Mrs. Gunderson chuckled, “Don’t be afraid to live in the moment, dearie. I can tell this one here” she nodded, indicating Steff, “is going to keep you on your toes.”

  
Andie gazed up into Steff’s sparkling blue eyes, “Only because it makes it easier for me to kiss him” she said, kissing him.

  
_You are so beautiful_ , Steff thought. _As long as I live I will never forget this moment_.

  
Mrs. Gunderson looked at them, envying them a little for their love and their youth, a little jealous of the journey they were about to embark upon together, “ _Well there are certainly worse ways you could be spending your time_ ” she said softly.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

“Okay if we run by my parent’s house real quick, Kitten? I need to grab something from my room” Steff asked as he opened Andie’s car door.

  
“Sure” Andie agreed. “Are your parents going to be there?” a small note of anxiety creeping into her voice.

  
“Oh, hell, I never know where those people are from one minute to the next” Steff replied good naturedly as he started the car and exited the courthouse’s parking lot. “If they’re there, I’ll introduce you. If not, we’ll catch them some other time. Either way, we won’t be long; 5 minutes, tops.”

  
Andie nodded, a little relieved. Meeting Steff’s parents was not an event she was really looking forward to – more like a necessary evil. If they were anything like the way he was when she first met him, they were going to be in for a rocky ride. _**He’s** the one you love_ , she reminded herself, _and you can get along with anyone else for his sake – don’t sweat this, you’ll be fine._

“You know Kitten, one of these days I need to meet your dad. Get his permission to marry you, and all” Steff remarked, glancing over at her as he drove.

  
“I had no idea you were so old fashioned” Andie observed. “Why, you’re almost _Republican!”_ she laughed.

  
“Don’t be trash talking our esteemed leader of the free world” Steff declared flippantly. “I have it on good authority that President Reagan is a pretty progressive dude.”

  
“Yeah, for **_1955_** ” Andie laughed.

  
“One day, Kitten” Steff pronounced, “when we’re in our fifties, and our 11 kids are driving us nuts, we’re going to look back on 1986 as the good old days, and wonder what the hell happened.”

  
Andie looked alarmed. “You don’t mean that you think in 30 years that you’re going to regret marrying me, do you?”

  
Steff abruptly pulled the car over to the side of the road and slammed on the breaks. “Kitten, don’t you _ever_ say that again” he replied, a fierce note in his voice, “don’t you ever even **_think_** it.” He took a deep breath, willing himself to tone it down a notch, and gently clasped her face in both hands, “Marrying you is going to be the greatest moment of my life – that’s **_never_** going to change.” He kissed her deeply. When at last he pulled back from the kiss, he added, “I just meant that there’s no telling how much the _world_ is gonna change in the next 30 years. It’ll probably knock our socks off, both in a good way, and not.” He smiled lovingly at her and brushed her hair back from her face. “As long as I have you, I don’t give a rat’s ass what else is happening here on planet Earth.” He kissed her again, lingering over her lips a good, long while before at last ending the kiss and pulling back out into traffic.

  
“However, I _am_ looking forward to having a flying car” he added, laughing.

  
**“** _ **Roads?** Where we’re going, we don’t **need** roads_ ” Andie agreed, giggling.

  
A short time later they pulled into Steff’s parent’s driveway and got out of the car. As they walked to the back door Steff remarked that their cars weren’t there, so both his folks must be out. Of course, he knew this before even asking Andie if it was okay if they stopped by. He didn’t bring her over to meet his parents; he brought her over to meet Blanca. As they stepped into the kitchen, Blanca was bustling around, cleaning up and putting things away before leaving for the day.

  
Blanca looked up as they entered, _“Steffy!”_ she exclaimed, smiling.

  
Steff smiled, gathering her in his arms for a hug, “Hello, Beautiful” he said, kissing her cheek. “I brought you a present” he added, his eyes twinkling.

  
Blanca stepped out of Steff’s arms, and turned her full attention to Andie, thrilled to be getting the chance to at last meet the girl who brought her Steff back to the boy she had raised. Blanca would forever be grateful to Andie for saving her baby’s life, for bringing him **_back_** to life. Blanca embraced Andie warmly, squeezing her tight and whispered in Andie’s ear, “And she’s everything I ever wanted.” Blanca stepped back, holding Andie’s hands and looked her up and down, smiling, with tears in her eyes and said **_“Andie.”_**

Andie smiled in return, “It’s very nice to meet you Blanca”

  
Her eyes never leaving Andie’s, Blanca shooed Steff out of the kitchen, smiling, “Be gone, _Mijo,_ Andie and I need to talk”

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.


	31. Chapter 31

Blanca led Andie to the kitchen table and sat down, still clasping her hand. Blanca smiled at Andie, so full of questions that she hardly knew where to begin.

Blanca took a deep breath and decided to begin with the most important item first. “ _Thank you_ ” she said nodding, tears threatening to spill over, “ _thank you, Mija_. You brought my baby back to me.”

Andie blinked, a bit taken aback. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I understand” shaking her head.

“I haven’t seen Steff this happy in years. Maybe _ever”_ Blanca said. “It’s because of you. I was so worried that he was lost – and would stay lost.” Blanca inhaled deeply, staring intently into Andie’s eyes, “If it hadn’t been for you, I don’t know what would have happened to him. That night after prom…” Blanca trailed off, a pained expression in her eyes.

Andie’s eyes widened in alarm, “What happened after prom?”

Blanca cocked her head and looked at her, realizing too late that Andie didn’t know anything about what Steff went through that night. “You broke my baby’s heart” she said, softly. At Andie’s stunned expression, Blanca shook her head and remarked “and it was the best thing that ever happened to him.”

Andie was speechless, blinking rapidly in bewilderment. _“What?_ What do you mean? I never even _spoke_ to Steff that night.” Concern colored her features, “How could I have broken his heart?”

Blanca shook her head, “I’m sorry – that came out wrong. What I meant to say was that he came home from prom _brokenhearted_ because he realized that the person he had allowed himself to become was never going to be good enough for you. And when he realized _that,_ the wall he had built around his heart started to crumble.” Blanca smiled, “So _thank you_ , Andie. If it hadn’t been for that night, then nothing would have changed, and my baby would still be lost to me. Lost to _himself.”_

Andie grimaced, hardly able to even bear to think about how she and Steff had treated each other in the past. It pained her now to think of him suffering any anguish, deserved or not. “I **_love_** him Blanca. I love him with my _whole heart_. I would **_never_** knowingly hurt him now” she said, tears shining in her eyes.

Blanca pulled Andie in tight for a hug, her breath hitching as she began to cry in earnest. “Oh, I know, Mija. I can trust you with his heart. And I **_am_** trusting you with his heart, Andie. Please take good care of it.” Blanca sniffed, as tears crept down her face, “My Steffy is so tender-hearted, and he loves you so much.”

Andie began to cry as well. “I _promise,_ Blanca” hugging her tight in return, “I will guard it with my life.”

Just then they heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway, as they both pulled back from their hug and began to self-consciously wipe their tear-stained faces. Blanca got up and brought over a box of tissues as the back door opened and in stepped an older version of Steff. Slightly less hair, but that may have been because of the way he wore it, not necessarily because there was less of it. Same beautiful blue eyes, though.

“Hi Blanca. That Steff’s car in the drive?” Todd McKee asked, before noticing Andie sitting at the table.

  
Todd recognized Andie at once. _The Redhead from graduation. The one Steff left the party to go find. **Interesting.**_

“Hello” he said, a note of genuine pleasure in his voice, “who do we have here?”

Andie stood and smiled, as Blanca made the introductions. “Mr. McKee, this is Steff’s girlfriend, Andie Walsh.”

_**Girlfriend.** Interesting._

Andie stepped forward to shake hands, beaming her prettiest smile and said “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. McKee.”

Todd McKee was no slouch when it came to appreciating a pretty girl, and he turned the full wattage of his smile upon her, shaking her hand, then pulling her in for a brief hug. “It’s great to meet you Andie. I’m glad Steff brought you by.” He glanced at Blanca, “So where is the boy?”

“He had to get something out of his room” Blanca replied. “But since I cleaned up there, he may not know where anything is anymore. He’s probably still looking.”

Todd nodded, “Well, I’ll just go up and see if he needs a hand then.” He smiled, “You girls continue on with your cry-fest” he chuckled, as he left the kitchen.

Blanca leaned in and whispered to Andie “That man, doesn’t miss a _trick,_ and just so you know, _Steff is just like him._ ”

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

 

Mr. McKee stopped off in his room long enough to hang up his jacket and loosen his tie, before making his way down the hall to his son’s old room. He stood in the hallway for a moment, watching Steff unobserved, through the open bedroom door, thinking back to the night of Steff’s graduation. Todd had noticed Steff’s rapt attention to Andie after the ceremony, and he couldn’t figure out why Steff didn’t just go over and speak to her. The boy couldn’t take his eyes off her, but he made no move to engage her in any fashion. Then, at the graduation party, Steff had gotten him alone.

_“Dad, I can’t stay here.” Steff had sounded forlorn, yet determined, as his eyes incessantly scanned the room, searching for someone who had yet to arrive._

_“What’s wrong Steff? You feeling okay?” Todd had asked, but he already knew the answer._

_“No, Dad, it’s not that. I mean, it is, but it’s not like that.” Steff’s eyes continued to search the room._

_This poor boy’s got it bad, Todd thought. **The Redhead**. “Do you have any idea where she is?”_

_Steff blinked, taken aback, looking his dad in the eye for the first time. How does he **know** this shit? “I have no clue. But I have to find her.”_

_“Steff, I gotta ask – why the hell didn’t you just invite her to the party? Seems like that would have saved a lot of trouble.”_

_Steff shook his head, looking down, embarrassed. “I was too afraid to ask her” he muttered._

_Todd inwardly laughed, Oh brother, you poor kid, you got it bad._

_Steff continued, “Up until 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon, she hated my guts. But Dad, when she smiled at me tonight….” Steff trailed off, remembering how Andie’s eyes had lit up when she waved at him. The magnitude of that exchange couldn’t go unexplored – it would torture him the rest of his life._

_Todd nodded, understanding completely. He clapped Steff on the back, “Go on, get out of here, then. Go find your girl.”_

_Steff broke into the first smile he’d had since arriving at the party. “Thanks, Dad” he whispered, hugging his old man._

_“We’re proud of you Steff. We love you very much” he added. “Good luck, and drive safely, please.”_

_Steff smiled and nodded. As he walked determinedly out of the club, Todd watched him go, thinking, Well, it finally happened; boy finally found something worth having that he couldn’t buy. He’s going to learn a lesson or two from her._

Todd watched Steff for another moment, looking for some indication that his son was searching for something, but Steff wasn’t looking for anything; he was just sitting on the foot of his bed, staring at his clasped hands.

“Hi, Son” Todd greeted him warmly.

Steff looked up, smiling, and stood to give his old man a hug. “Hey, Dad. It’s good to see you. How are you?”

“Nowhere near as good as you, from the looks of it” he replied, grinning. “I met Andie downstairs.”

As they sat back down on the foot of the bed, Steff nodded knowingly. “So what did you think?”

Todd regarded him shrewdly, and smiled, his dimple appearing in his left cheek. “When’s the wedding?”

Steff laughed, having never been able to fool his old man for long. “It’s pretty soon. You might want to have your tux cleaned and waiting on stand-by.”

Todd’s eyebrows raised. He knew Steff was serious, but he didn’t realize there was a degree of urgency attached to the proceedings. He delicately cleared his throat, “Is there _another_ impending announcement that I should be bracing for?”

Steff blinked, puzzled. _“What?”_ A split second later understanding dawned, _“Oh!_ **No,** Dad. It’s not like _that.”_ Steff laughed, _If you only knew how **not like that** it was_ , he thought.

Todd nodded, relieved to hear that he wouldn’t be a grandfather just yet. “So, then why the haste?”

Steff inhaled deeply said “Because we love each other, Dad.” Steff ran his hands through his hair and fell backwards on the bed, holding his hands to his head, “And if we don’t get married **_soon,_** _I’m going to die!_ ” he said laughing.

_Ah, now I get it. She’s a good girl. They’re waiting._

“Well, is there anything I can do to help?” _Oh, crap,_ he suddenly realized, _he hasn’t told his mother._

“Yeah, actually, there is” Steff replied, sitting back up. As Todd listened intently, Steff began to outline his plan, and the help he needed pulling it off. _This is going to be fun,_ Todd thought.

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

 

Steff and his dad came back downstairs a few minutes later to find Andie and Blanca still sitting at the kitchen table, giggling and talking. _“And he ran all the way down the street, bucky-tailed naked, before I could catch him!_ ” Blanca laughed, tears running down her face.

Andie’s hands were clapped over her mouth, trying in vain to hold in the hilarity of the sight of three year old Steff, fresh out of the bathtub, racing down the street to catch up with the ice cream truck. Steff just shook his head, rolling his eyes, having heard this story many times.

“Let that be a lesson to you, Kitten” he remarked, leaning down to kiss her, “always keep ice cream in the house so I don’t have to drop what I’m doing to go chase down the ice cream truck.”

Andie was laughing so hard that tears were running down her face. As Steff helped her to her feet and into her coat, she asked, still laughing “Is there anything else I should know about that will make you drop trou and go running out of the house for?”

Steff kissed her temple and whispered in her ear, causing her to blush very prettily, “ _Just if I’m chasing you, Kitten_.”

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has continued to read! Your reviews mean a lot, so please drop me a note and let me know what you think!


	32. Chapter 32

After an exhausting round of non-stop studying, followed by tests in every class, it was finally the week of Thanksgiving. Blessed relief, a whole week off school, and Steff and Andie were looking forward to spending it together. They were hardly out of each other’s sight for more than a few hours at a time by this point in their relationship; it was becoming a rarity for Andie to spend more than two nights in a row in her dorm room. Steff actually found it painful to be separated from her for that long, so great was his longing to be with her all the time.

After breakfast, they were cleaning up the dishes. This was one of Steff’s favorite parts of the day; sharing the start of the morning with his love, waking up next to Andie, seeing her love for him shining through her sleep heavy eyes, kissing her ‘good morning’, then doing ordinary domestic tasks like cooking and cleaning up. Made him look forward to married life with a ferocity that astounded him. As he loaded the dishwasher he sang “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” by the Beach Boys – Andie smiled lovingly at him and joined in on the harmonies. Steff had a beautiful voice, and Andie loved to listen to him sing, especially when he sang _to her_.

“Hey, Kitten, there’s something I’ve always wanted to learn how to do” Steff suddenly said. Andie was, by now, used to Steff’s abrupt changes of topic. Whenever an idea popped into his head, he was usually very quick to share it.

“I’m in” Andie smiled, handing him a rinsed dish to load.

“Don’t you even want to hear what it is?” Steff laughed. “For all you know, I might want to sign us up for skydiving lessons.”

“Well, I’ll admit that knowing how to jump out of a plane might prove to be useful knowledge at some point in the future, however, since you went to all the trouble of getting a marriage license, I don’t see you putting me in mortal danger until our 3rd anniversary at least” Andie replied cheerfully, as she continued to rinse out glasses, missing entirely the stricken look on Steff’s face.

Steff’s eyes briefly flashed with pain, and he inhaled sharply before blinking and shaking his head rapidly, clearing it of an unthinkable fate. _Don’t say stuff like that, Kitten._ “The worst that will happen to you is I might step on your toes” Steff said lightly, trying to recover from the abhorrent thought of putting Andie in danger. “I’ve always wanted to learn how to Swing Dance.” At Andie’s puzzled expression, he continued, “You know, like the Jitterbug” he elaborated.

Understanding dawned, and excitement flashed in Andie’s eyes. “Like from the 40s?” she asked eagerly.

Steff smiled. _That’s my girl_. “Yep! So what do you think?”

Andie threw her arms around him and kissed him very enthusiastically. “I think **_Yes!”_**

Steff twirled her around the kitchen and dipped her, kissing her deeply as he brought her back up to stand upright. Andie molded perfectly into Steff’s embrace, running her hands up his chest to entwine around his neck, holding him close, as they continued to kiss. When at last they pulled back, both were breathless with desire, unbridled ardor for the other fixed in their eyes.

Steff kept his right arm wrapped snugly around Andie’s waist and took her right hand in his left and began to dance her around the kitchen, staring lovingly into her eyes. As they danced he sang softly,

_You’re just too good to be true_   
_Can’t take my eyes off of you_   
_You’d be like heaven to touch_   
_I want to hold you so much_   
_At long last love has arrived_   
_And I thank God I’m alive_   
_You’re just too good to be true_   
_Can’t take my eyes off of you_

Andie’s heart was filled to bursting, as her eyes glittered with tears. _“I love you so much”_ she whispered.

“Guy who wrote that song must have felt exactly like how I feel right now” Steff said softly, tenderly caressing Andie’s face, “I love you, Kitten.” He kissed her gently, “I want to dance to that song at our wedding.”

Andie kissed him softly and smiled, “As long as you don’t skimp on the Barry Manilow” she said, a gently playful note in her voice.

Steff chuckled and twirled Andie again before returning her to his embrace, “Are you kidding? I’m gonna get Barry to _sing_ at our wedding!”

Andie giggled, “I had no idea my husband-to-be was so well connected!”

Steff’s heart jumped at hearing Andie refer to him as her husband. His chest swelled with pride and his throat grew tight with longing. _**Husband.** Yes. Oh God, **yes**_ **.** “Your _husband-to-be_ would move heaven and earth to get you whatever you desire, Kitten.”

Andie smiled and kissed him, her hunger for him coming off in waves, as her lips lingered over his. “The only thing I want **_is_ ** my husband-to-be” she whispered against his lips.

The blood surged in Steff’s veins, culminating in an excruciatingly pleasant throbbing in his loins. He inhaled sharply as his hips reflexively thrust into Andie, seeking contact with his love. As he pulled her to him tightly, he growled roughly in her ear “ ** _Bed. Now, Kitten._** ” Belatedly breathlessly groaning, _“Please”_

Andie nodded mindlessly, _yes, yes, **yes**_ **,** as she kissed him silly, wrapping her legs around Steff’s waist as he lifted her up and carried her to their room.

_Dance lessons would just have to wait._

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

_Sometime later that morning….._

As they lay cuddled up under the blankets, kissing and giggling, basking in the glow, Steff casually remarked, “So Kitten, you never told me what kind of engagement ring you would like.”

Andie blinked and facetiously answered “A round one, I think.”

Steff chuckled and kissed her, “Be serious, Kitten. You know how I like to plan things.”

Andie yawned and stretched, thinking. Andie liked big, sparkly jewelry as much as the next girl, however, she refused to even _entertain_ the idea of an ostentatious engagement ring. She **_never_** wanted Steff to think for even a moment that his money had anything to do with the way she felt about him.

Steff held her left hand in his, bringing it to his lips, kissing it softly, then held it up to regard it closely. “Something that will blind everyone at 50 feet? I know, a _doorknob_ diamond!”

Andie laughed, _“No,_ crazy” kissing him, “I don’t need some huge rock.” Andie would _die_ before she would let anyone say that she only wanted Steff for his money. “I’m much more interested in having matching wedding bands. If you feel the need to shower me with diamonds, you can do it on our anniversaries.” A sudden frown crossed her face as an unpleasant thought occurred to her. She lifted up on one arm and looked down at him as she searched his eyes, concern etching her face, “You **_do_** want to wear a wedding ring, don’t you?” Some guys didn’t like to wear rings, _please God, don’t let him be one of those_.

Steff was taken aback by Andie’s question, having genuinely never even _considered_ the notion of not wearing a ring. He was going to be so proud to be her husband, was going to be so proud that she consented to be his wife, that he was bursting to tell the world. He was **_definitely_** wearing a ring. _“Of_ **_course_** I’m wearing a wedding ring, Kitten” he answered, bewildered that she would ever think that he wouldn’t. “I want _everyone_ to know that I’m **_yours”_** he smiled, kissing her and gathering her in his arms, pulling her snugly to his chest, sheltering her in his arms, “and I want everyone to know that you’re **_mine_** as well.”

Andie smiled into his chest, snuggling closer to him, letting the warmth of his love wash over her, and squeezed him tight. “Okay, _good”_ she breathed. “So then that’s the _plan:_ no doorknob diamond. Matching wedding bands for Mr. and Mrs. McKee” she smiled.

Steff’s blood surged in his veins. _Mr. and Mrs. McKee._ Steff closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, kissing the top of Andie’s head and smiling, and held her so, **_so_** tight. Every dream coming true, a whole world of promise held in those four simple words. _Mr. and Mrs. McKee._

“Where would you like to go on our honeymoon, Kitten?” he asked, when at last he could speak past the lump in his throat.

Andie laughed softly, “Boy, you really _are_ in full blown planning mode today, aren’t you?” she noted playfully.

“Well, you know I love it when a plan comes together” Steff answered cheerfully. “Do you prefer somewhere warm, or somewhere cold?”

“Ummm, _cold,_ I think” Andie answered, beginning to kiss her way up Steff’s neck. “That way I can snuggle up with you as much as I want, without anyone thinking I’m weird” she laughed softly.

“Kitten, we’ll be on our **_honeymoon._** No one’s gonna think it’s weird that we can’t keep our hands off each other” Steff smiled. _God, you are **adorable**_ **.**

“Oh yeah” Andie laughed, realizing he was right, and continued to kiss his neck. “Then in that case I guess I would like still go somewhere cold. It might be nice to lie in bed with you and look out over the mountains.” She paused, running her hands over his chest, and then slowly trailed her fingers down his stomach, “I don’t anticipate actually getting _out_ of bed long enough to go see them up close” she breathed softly in his ear, gently suckling his earlobe and nuzzling the sensitive skin behind his ear, “I’m gonna have more entertaining things to do than _sightsee.”_ She dipped her fingers briefly into his boxers and swirled her index finger slowly around the head of his erection, causing Steff’s breath to hitch and catch in his chest. _“Outside,_ anyway” she added breathily, “There will be plenty to see _inside,_ I imagine.”

_Jesus **Christ,** Kitten._ Steff swallowed hard, immediately growing rigid again. _God, how does she **do** this to me?_ Andie lightly outlined his manhood through his boxers, as she deliberately kissed and nibbled on his neck, unhurriedly tracing up his rapidly increasing length, and then even more languorously back down again, before capturing his lips in a deep, searing kiss. Steff groaned deeply, thrusting repeatedly into Andie’s hand, powerless to stop, his hands clenched in the sheets, his control rapidly flying out the window. Imagining their wedding night, their honeymoon, was making him wild with need, his craving to be inside her was acute, overpowering, all-consuming.

“ _Kitten, **please”**_ Steff moaned against her mouth, placing his large hand on top of hers and pressing firmly into his length, squeezing and clutching, ravenous with desire for her. His blood was aflame, feverishly pounding through his veins, his need voracious and desperate, rendering him mindless with want. Andie slipped her hand out from beneath his and swiftly lowered his boxers, freeing him to her direct touch. Andie whimpered softly into his mouth as she wrapped both hands around his thick, throbbing manhood, his skin scorching hot to the touch, and began to slowly stroke up and down his length with one hand, while swiftly tracing over his engorged head the other. The differences in the tempo between the two actions was driving Steff to distraction, an agonizing delirium he was powerless to overcome.

Steff was losing his mind. **“** _ **God,** Andie!_ ” he cried, as he swiftly rolled them over, coming to rest between her legs, pumping roughly into her hands, his hips pistoning wildly, driving relentlessly against her soft belly. Andie was aroused beyond belief by Steff’s loss of control. “ _Yes, baby, **yes**_ **”** she moaned against his lips, catapulting him into a blinding release with her impassioned cries.

Steff’s lungs seized, his heart seemingly coming to a full stop before forcibly exploding, his blood roaring in his ears, his frenzied groans of ecstasy obliterating all thought for either of them. The waves of his climax rolled on and on, the force of his release so powerful that the world grayed out a little around the edges for a moment. At last he collapsed, spent and consumed, breathless and mindless into Andie’s sheltering arms, his mind so blown that after several minutes, when he finally once again became capable of speech, he could only softly whisper “ _I love you, Kitten_ ” over and over.

They never did make it out of the apartment that day.

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.


	33. Chapter 33

It was the third day of Thanksgiving vacation, and our lovebirds were no closer to leaving their nest this day than they had been on the first. They only sporadically even left their bed, occasionally rising to cook and eat or attend to other pressing matters, but by and large, they spent every moment in heaven, wrapped each other’s arms. However, in the back of Andie’s mind had been the fact that Thanksgiving was fast approaching, and if they didn’t hurry up and get a turkey, it wouldn’t have time to thaw before the big day and they might end up not getting to eat til sometime on Saturday.

_“I’m **serious,** Steff!_ ” Andie exclaimed, laughing, “if we don’t get out of this _bed,_ and out of this _apartment,_ and get to the _store,_ we’re gonna be eating _spaghetti_ for Thanksgiving dinner!”

Steff shrugged, too busy kissing his way down Andie’s neck and across her collarbone, on his way to her delectable breasts to be bothered with anything as tiresome as grocery shopping. “Pie’s the only thing I care about” he muttered between kisses. “ _Besides, I’m on a Mission From God_ ” he whispered against her breastbone.

“Well, okay then, but even pie isn’t going to magically appear out of thin air!” Andie insisted. She paused a beat, beginning to become distracted by Steff’s attentions, “I don’t even know what kind of pie is your favorite” she began before again becoming sidetracked by Steff’s devotions to her personage. “We’re going to have to….” her voice trailed off as Steff reached her breasts, his long fingers gently kneading one plump mound, as he peppered the sensitive underside of the other with wet kisses. Andie inhaled sharply, her hips thrusting up off the bed reflexively as she struggled to remember what she had been saying. _Seems like it had been something important_. “Ummm… _shopping…_ ” she murmured, and that was the last coherent thought she had for a while.

Steff deftly rolled her erect nipple between his thumb and forefinger, plucking and tweaking, gently squeezing, as he drew the other into his mouth, replicating with his tongue and teeth and lips, the ministrations being performed with his hand. Andie moaned softly, a scalding flash of moisture flooding her core, the sensation rocketing straight to her center, leaving her saturated and breathless with want. Andie gasped Steff’s name, plunging her hands into his hair and holding him close.

Steff slowly drew his hand down Andie’s torso, adroitly slipping his hand inside her drenched panties, to part her soaking curls and gently circle the throbbing bundle of nerves at her center. As his fingers rubbed and stroked her aroused flesh, he kissed his way down the same trail his fingers had forged moments before. He effortlessly rolled between her legs, parting them further as he slipped her panties off and tossed them unseeing over his shoulder.

“ _Steff?_ ” Andie’s eyes flashed in slight apprehension as her brain struggled to catch up with the sensations her body was experiencing. She had never been exposed to his direct regard before, and while not exactly nervous, she didn’t really know what to expect next. She trusted Steff implicitly though, and knew that he would never break his vow to only take her virginity on their wedding night.

Steff was transfixed, stunned and mesmerized by Andie’s feminine pulchritude. She was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen in his life, _and she was all his_. His lungs seized up as he struggled to draw a ragged breath, his chest heaving. He blinked slowly as he inhaled deeply, _Wedding night, **wedding night**_ , he harshly admonished himself, which did almost no good whatsoever. He stared in rapt attention, as he drew a finger through her glistening ginger curls, and down her shining, pulsating flesh. Andie was unbearably aroused, just watching Steff, his eyes dilated in desire, his breathing staggered, as he devoured her with his eyes.

“ _Kitten, you are **so** beautiful_ ” Steff whispered, captivated, before at last dragging his gaze back to her eyes, raw and profound need etched on his face. Steff held Andie’s gaze, his eyes never leaving hers as he deliberately lowered his face to her mound, inhaling deeply, before blinking slowly and sinking down to plant a wet kiss on her throbbing flesh.

Andie gasped sharply as her head fell back on the pillow, her eyes rolling back in her head, crying out “ _Jesus Christ, **Steff!**_ **”** Andie had never known such exquisite _bliss_ in her life; all conscious thought fled, her entire universe centered around what Steff was doing to her with his tongue. Her heart pounded in her ears, and her hands instinctively flew to plunge in his hair, seeking to hold him where he was, as her hips repeatedly thrust up against him of their own volition.

Steff groaned against Andie’s fevered flesh, on the verge of climax from just the scent and taste of her alone. He was overcome with the urge to enter her, ** _take her_** , and relentlessly plunge them both into sweet oblivion. Her impassioned cries and heated pleas for release were driving him mad, ratcheting up his desire to be inside her to an agonizing level. _Wedding night, **wedding night**_ he ruthlessly reminded himself, struggling in vain to retain control. Marshalling a strength he didn’t know he possessed, he forcibly dragged his thoughts back to the completion of his _Mission From God_ ; giving Andie the orgasm of her life. Steff nimbly circled her dripping wet opening with his index finger, without entering her, only pressing into her slightly, but not giving her what she was pleading for.

“ _Oh **God,** Steff, **please!**_ **”** Andie cried, frantic with need, her hips pressing up into him, seeking release.

**“** _ **This** what you need, Kitten?_ ” Steff asked against her flesh, his voice low and rough with passion, thrumming through her, as he finally slid one long finger into her tight, throbbing center, simultaneously resuming his attentions with his lips and tongue.

Andie’s internal muscles clenched and gripped around Steff’s finger with such might that he groaned in response, the sympathetic reaction she was causing in his raging erection causing him to thrust into her a little more forcefully than he intended. Andie cried out loudly, gasping his name, as her powerful climax slammed through her, blinding her to everything except the heaven to which Steff was transporting her.

_**Jesus,** Kitten_ , Steff thought blindly, as her tight, hot flesh continued to contract around him, arousing him endlessly. With his free hand Steff clutched his own rock-hard flesh, as Andie’s cries, Andie’s scent, Andie’s taste, Andie’s _everything,_ sent him careening over the edge with her, following her into the abyss. He groaned against her, one hand wrapped around his own member, his other hand against her, his finger ensconced in her scalding channel, mimicking the rhythm that his manhood longed to be engaged in instead, his climax pounding through his veins as Andie’s own breathless cries echoed in his head.

_**Jesus,** Kitten, look what you do to me,_ he thought, bewildered and breathless, spent.

As Andie’s contracting flesh began to relax, Steff placed a final, lingering kiss at her center, inhaling deeply, reveling in the heady scent of the arousal he had caused, his chest swelling with male pride. Steff languidly kissed his way back up to Andie’s lips, capturing them in a slow, deep kiss, his hands cradling her face lovingly. When Steff pulled back from the kiss, he was elated to see the look on Andie’s face, one of absolute, bone-deep satisfaction. She stared up at him through heavy lidded eyes, looking completely fulfilled, and so well-loved that she took his breath away. “You okay, Kitten?” he asked, tenderly, gently caressing her face. Andie was utterly consumed and expended, boneless and unfocussed, and she gave Steff a beautiful, dreamy smile in response, unable to formulate another response at present.

**_Guess so_** , he thought, smiling. _Mission Accomplished._

Steff kissed her again and settled in, nuzzling his face into Andie’s neck, cuddling into her warm embrace, and sighed deeply in contentment. “I love you, Kitten” he whispered, awash in love, his soul at peace.

Andie hugged him tightly, kissing his head, “ _Oh, Steff_ ” she inhaled deeply. “ _I love you so much_ ” After a moment she pulled back and gazed into his eyes and whispered enthusiastically, “ _And I want to do that **again!**_ **”**

Steff began to laugh, pleased, overjoyed actually, that she had enjoyed herself so much.

“And by the way, Kitten, in answer to your earlier question, if you think about it, you already know my favorite kind of pie” Steff remarked, evidently now ready to discuss Thanksgiving preparations, having successfully completed his Mission From God.

It took Andie a moment to switch gears from orgasmic afterglow back to grocery shopping for Thanksgiving. “I _do?”_ Andie asked after a moment, a puzzled look on her face. “What is it?”

_“Cherry”_ Steff answered merrily, an amused, knowing gleam in his eyes.

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

 

They never made it out of the apartment that day either.

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

A/N: Thanks for reading! And yes, they will eventually make it out of bed and to the grocery store! Please leave me a review and let me know what you think!


	34. Chapter 34

“ _Kitten?_ ” Steff softly whispered in Andie’s ear, as he spooned her from behind, his warm hand splayed possessively across her soft belly, pulling her snugly into him, as he inhaled deeply, breathing her in.

No response.

“ _Kit-ten_ ” Steff playfully murmured in a low, melodic sing-song voice, kissing Andie’s neck and nuzzling his face in the hair behind her ear, his hand moving up to cup her breast through her pajama top, kneading gently, causing her nipples to harden and pebble in response.

Andie smiled and inhaled deeply, stretching and then snuggling back into Steff’s warm embrace, but still said nothing.

Steff smiled, continuing to feather Andie’s neck with gentle kisses. “You’re not fooling anyone Kitten, playing possum” as his hips involuntarily thrust into her soft, delectably round bottom. His hand trailed from her now-fully stimulated peaks to snake down onto the outside of her pajama bottoms, delicately tracing the outline of her ladybits, arousing her endlessly. Andie inhaled sharply and gave the faintest of groans of pleasure, the sound of his love’s exclamation rocketing straight to Steff’s already engorged length, as Andie strained to press against his hand.

_Jesus, Kitten, you’re **killing** me_.

Before this got out of hand once again, and they spent another entire day in bed, Steff reminded himself that they actually had some tasks to accomplish outside the bedroom that day. Convincing Andie of this however, when she was already so far gone, was another matter altogether. She might like to pretend that they should actually get out of bed and achieve some sort of set goal for the day, but when it came right down to it, she didn’t want to be anywhere other than right where she was, any more than he did. She was right where she wanted to be, doing exactly what she wanted to be doing.

“Do you know what day it is today, Kitten?” Steff asked, momentarily stilling his hand from his ministrations.

Andie wasn’t having any of _that,_ placing her own hand on top of Steff’s and sliding them both inside her pajama bottoms, guiding and moving his fingers over her slickened, throbbing flesh herself, moving against his hand, getting herself there. “ _Don’t care_ ” she breathlessly replied, working them both into a frenzied, fevered pitch.

_Fuck it, the store will still be open later_ , was Steff’s last cogent thought, as he gave in to Andie’s insistent implorations, _and if not, I’m okay with spaghetti._

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

_Sometime **much later** that morning…._

_Okay, let’s try this again_. “Kitten” Steff whispered in Andie’s ear.

“ _Mmmm?”_ Andie sleepily responded, exhausted and in a state of utter fulfilment from the morning’s activities, as she turned and nestled into Steff’s chest, rubbing her face in his chest hair, smiling in satisfaction and pulling him close. And so, _so, **so**_ in love.

Steff’s heart was filled to bursting with love for his future wife. He held her tight in his arms, his legs entwined in hers, touching from head to toe, and kissed her softly on the top of her head. _“Kit-ten_ ” he tried again. “We gotta get up, angel” He squeezed her gently, kissing her hair again, “stuff to do.”

Andie made a frowny noise and shook her head against his chest, indicating her feelings on the matter.

_Kitten, you are **adorable.** And at this rate we are **never** getting out of this bed._

“Sweetheart, it’s the day before Thanksgiving and we still haven’t been to the store” Steff felt a small stab of guilt about exaggerating the lateness of the date; it was really only the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, but he was counting on the dollop of adrenaline surge that that news would bring to finally convince Andie of the urgent need to rise and shine.

Andie sighed happily, still lost in love, the significance of Steff’s announcement not yet penetrating her blissful post-climatic fog. She smiled against his chest, snuggling deeper into his embrace, and listened to the steady pounding of his heart.

_**I give up** ; spaghetti it is_, Steff laughed inwardly.

Andie’s eyes suddenly snapped open and she sat bolt-upright, a horrified expression on her face. “ _Steff, we missed our **first** Thanksgiving!_ ” she wailed in despair, tears beginning to gather in her eyes.

_“No, no, no, Kitten, it’s okay_ ” he swiftly moved to comfort her, shaking his head, “I got the day wrong; it’s still just Tuesday. We haven’t missed anything” he added quickly.

A look of relief flooded Andie’s features, and she sighed heavily, her hand over her heart. “Oh my gosh, Steff, I was so scared – I thought we missed it!” A sudden thought occurred to her and she looked at Steff, her eyes narrowed in suspicion. She nodded, pursing her lips, “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” already knowing the answer.

Steff began to laugh and held up his hands in supplication. “I’m sorry, _don’t be mad,_ Kitten” as he continued to chuckle at her annoyed expression.

“That’s fine” she began cheerfully, nodding, “ _no more **cherry pie** for you, Buddy_ ” as she began to dis-entangle herself from the covers, moving to get out of bed. But Steff, being bigger, faster, and stronger, wasn’t having any of **_that,_** and rolled effortlessly on top of her, pinning her to the bed, and began to rain kisses on her face, her lips, her jaw, her neck, caressing her with his hands everywhere that his lips had just been.

“I’m sorry, Kitten” he whispered between kisses, “Please don’t send me to bed without my favorite dessert” he smiled into her eyes, seeing all the love he felt being reflected back.

“You’re right” Andie giggled, unable to keep up the pretense of being upset, “no sense in punishing myself – ** _I_ ** didn’t do anything wrong”

They kissed for long moments, hands roaming over the other, whispering how much they loved each other. At last Steff pulled away, saying “C’mon Kitten, if we get moving right now, I can have you back between the sheets in two hours, tops.”

Andie grinned, “I’m holding you to that.”

Steff kissed her and whispered suggestively, “As long as that’s not the _only_ thing you’re holding” causing Andie to erupt in giggles.

“ _Race you to the shower_ ” Andie replied playfully, “and we’ll see if the soap makes anything too slippery to _hold on to_.”

All the blood shot straight to Steff’s groin, causing to him lengthen and harden so rapidly it was astonishing. “ _Jesus **Christ,** Kitten, we are **never** getting out of this apartment_ ” he gasped, capturing her lips in a fevered kiss.

_Fuck it, who cares. Turkey is overrated anyway_.

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

_Early afternoon now (but you probably already guessed that anyway)_

Andie was on the phone as Steff exited the bedroom, both of them at last (and some would say, _miraculously)_ dressed and ready to go.

“I don’t know. Let me ask Steff” she said to the caller. Steff looked up at the mention of his name, mouthing “who is it?”

Andie held the phone to her chest, “It’s Iona. She’s trying to set up a Christmas display at the store and wants to know if I can come by for a few hours Wednesday afternoon to help her set it up.”

Steff nodded, shrugging. “It’s okay with me, Kitten, if you want to go”

She smiled and returned to the call; “Okay, I’ll be there about 2.” She paused, listening, “Okay, see you tomorrow” and then hung up.

“I’ll drop you off; I have some errands to do, then I’ll come back by and pick you up and we can come home and get started on making pies” he said, not a bit suggestively.

Andie smiled and walked over and gave him a sweet kiss. “And who knows, we might even get some actual _baking_ done” she laughed.

“Based on our track record, I wouldn’t hold my breath” Steff chuckled.

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

They pushed the shopping cart through the grocery store, which was a complete, freaking madhouse, full of procrastinating shoppers, like Steff and Andie. However, no one else in the store was in the same state of euphoric happiness that our lovebirds were. And no one else in the store had anywhere near as good an excuse for their last minute shopping as Steff and Andie did.

“I don’t know, Kitten, what do you think? A twenty-five pound bird sound like it’ll be enough?” Steff asked, looking over the frozen turkeys.

Andie began to laugh “Just how much turkey can you eat?”

Steff shrugged, “Just trying to plan ahead, Kitten. If we don’t leave the apartment for the next four days, we’re gonna need something to keep our strength up.”

Andie laughed, shaking her head. “I think we can get by with a 12 pound bird, baby. I don’t want to still be grazing on this thing come Christmas.”

Steff looked through the pile of frozen carcasses until he found a bowling ball sized bird. “This our guy?” he asked.

_“Ding, ding, ding, we have a winner!_ ” Andie exclaimed.

They continued their journey through the store. “Stuffing or potatoes?” Andie asked.

“Whatever you like, Kitten, I’m easy” Steff replied.

“But you’re not cheap” Andie said in mock sincerity.

Steff laughed, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and pulling her close to kiss her temple. “The only time I’m worth anything is when I’m with you.”

Andie stopped in her tracks and looked up at him, a frown creasing her brow. “Please don’t say things like that, Steff. You’re worth _everything,_ whether you’re with me or not.”

Steff blinked, taken aback.

Andie nodded. “You are _perfect,_ Steff, just the way you are.” At his stunned expression she added “I’m _lucky_ to have you. And I thank God for you every night.”

Steff’s eyes glittered with unshed tears, as his heart swelled with love. He gathered her in his arms and held her tight, blocking cart traffic in the aisle.

**_“Unbelievable”_** Hairball muttered, as he steered his cart around them.

“ _Go invite him to Thanksgiving dinner, Kitten. He looks lonely_ ” Steff whispered playfully in Andie’s ear.

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

_Meanwhile, over at Andie’s house……_

Blane pulled up in front of Andie’s place, looking for her Karmann Ghia. He didn’t see it, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. She could have gotten rid of it, for all he knew; actually she _should_ get rid of it, it was a ridiculous little piece of crap, and seriously, _who drives a pink car?_ He shut the engine off and took a deep breath, exiting his BMW. As he made his way up the front walk, he anxiously glanced around, half expecting to get jumped in Andie’s iffy neighborhood, shuddering at the thought of anyone having to live here. To take his mind off his surroundings, he reviewed all the reasons he planned on giving Andie for why her relationship with Steff was a joke, and why she should dump Steff immediately and give _him_ another chance instead.

Steeling himself for the unknown, he mounted the front steps and knocked at the door. After a moment, Mr. Walsh answered.

“Hi” Blane began, smiling, “Is...”

“Oh hey, right on time” Mr. Walsh interrupted. “My bags are right there, if you wouldn’t mind getting them and putting them in the car. My back’s not so great anymore. I’ll just finish locking up and be right with you.” He turned and walked to the back of the house, turning off lights as he went.

_Huh?_

Blane glanced around, uncomprehendingly. “Uh, Mr. Walsh?” Blane called into the house, not certain what in the hell was going on.

“Yeah, son, the bags! _Let’s go, **chop, chop!**_ I got a plane to catch!” he called from the back of the house.

Blane blinked in confusion, jumping in alarm when a taxi pulled up in the driveway and blew the horn.

Mr. Walsh returned to the front door, and looked perplexedly at his luggage, which was still sitting where he’d left it, and then looked blankly at Blane. _What is with these idiot college kids? Can’t even put luggage in a car. **Idiots.**_

Understanding dawned in Blane’s eyes. “Oh, uh, Mr. Walsh, I’m not your driver. _He_ is” Blane turned, pointing at the taxi in the driveway. “I’m a friend of Andie’s. I was wondering if she’s home.”

“No” Mr. Walsh answered rather brusquely, through wasting time with this dumb-ass kid who couldn’t seem to figure out whether or not he was a taxi driver. “Get my bags anyway, will ya? My back is still crap whether you’re my driver or not.”

Blane blinked, taken aback, but then moved inside and grabbed Mr. Walsh’s luggage. _Maybe this’ll score me some points with Andie, when her dad tells her how helpful I was_. Blane moved past Mr. Walsh with the bags, as Mr. Walsh closed and locked the front door. As he walked down the drive towards the cab, he asked “So, do you expect Andie home sometime tonight?”

Mr. Walsh looked appraisingly at Blane. “Who did you say you are, again?”

Blane placed the luggage in the taxi’s trunk and wiped his hand on his pants, and extended it to shake. “I’m Blane McDonnagh, Mr. Walsh. Andie and I dated in high school.”

_Oh yeah, you little **prick,** I know **exactly** who **you** are._ Mr. Walsh carefully schooled his features, giving no indication that he was at all familiar with Blane, or had ever even heard his name. He shrugged dismissively, “Sorry boy, she never mentioned you” as he raised one eyebrow, shaking his head. _You must not have been too important._

Blane blinked in surprise.

“Anyway, she’s not here. She’s spending the week with her _boyfriend.”_

Blane’s nostrils flared as he exhaled in anger, his tiny mouth pursed. Mr. Walsh inwardly laughed, noting Blane’s resemblance to an angry bunny.

“Okay, so Bunny, sorry, _Blane,_ I gotta go. I have a plane to catch. It was nice to meet you. Hope you have a happy Thanksgiving” he said, opening the car door and getting in the taxi.

“Yeah, you too” Blane said softly, stepping back as the taxi backed out of the driveway.

Blane returned to his car and sat, considering. He didn’t know where Steff lived, and wasn’t about to go confront him on his own turf anyway. _Where else could Andie be?_

**_Trax._ **

Glancing at his watch, he decided to make a fresh start of it tomorrow. He would swing by and see if she still worked at the record store. At the very least he could charm Iona into putting him in touch with her. _Yeah, Iona always liked me, she’ll help me out._ Blane began to work on what he would say to Iona to convince her (which really, shouldn’t be all that difficult) that he was the better man for Andie.

He could feel it; _Wednesday was gonna be his lucky day._

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

 

A/N: Thanks for reading! Please leave me a review! I’d love to hear what you think!


	35. Chapter 35

“Did you invite Duckie and Iona for dessert tomorrow, Kitten?”

“Yep” Andie answered, handing him a rinsed dish to load.

“Did you change your mind about having them over for Thanksgiving dinner?” Steff asked easily.

“Nope” Andie smiled radiantly at him, kissing him as she handed him another dish. “Our first Thanksgiving, I want it to be just us. Besides, if I wreck dinner, I’d prefer to have as small an audience as possible” she laughed.

“You’ve done a great job so far Kitten. Haven’t poisoned us yet” Steff remarked grinning.

“Yes, every day my cooking doesn’t kill us is a good day” Andie agreed. Andie paused, regarding Steff and thinking; contemplating. “I’ve been thinking about something that I wanted to run by you” she said after a moment.

Something in Andie’s voice sounded off. She sounded tentative and hesitant. Steff raised his right eyebrow and watched Andie carefully, closing the dishwasher with his foot while grabbing for her right hand. _Just in case._

“You can ask me anything, Kitten, you know that” Steff said softly, pulling her close, but not letting go of her hand. “I just wish you’d tell it to me quick – you’re freaking me out.” _God, **please** don’t let her say she wants to postpone the wedding._ The moment that terrifying thought planted itself in Steff’s mind, it began to sprout and grow like wildfire. Steff deliberately took a deep breath, and then another, trying to calm down, but the longer she didn’t say anything, the deeper his anxiety grew.

Andie bit her bottom lip and at last began. “I was wondering how you felt about us spending all of our holidays alone for the first year we’re married. Not that I’m anti-family, or anything, but I would really like to spend the night before every holiday, with just us here at home, in our own bed, and wake up in the morning and start our celebrations together. _Alone.”_ She looked hopefully up into his eyes, eager for him to see how much this meant to her. “We can go do the visiting thing later in the afternoon for a little while, but I _really_ want it to be just us for most of the day.” She squeezed his hand. “Just for the first year. Then we can do whatever you want” she added.

Steff exhaled deeply, releasing the breath he had been holding and placed his free hand over his pounding heart. _“Christ,_ Kitten, you about gave me a heart attack. I thought for sure you were gonna call off the wedding.” Andie scoffed and rolled her eyes. Steff laughed at himself for being such a worrywart, and kissed Andie in relief, shaking his head, smiling. “Yes, baby, whatever you like. We’ll celebrate however you want” He pulled her close, hugging her tight, touched by how romantic her request was. She wanted to start every holiday being with _him only_. Steff couldn’t imagine a better present. Quickly doing the math in his head, he lightheartedly noted “That should give us about 20 holidays to spend alone together, including Flag Day and Earth Day. More, if we include the Jewish High Holy Days” he added, grinning.

“Did you remember to include Bastille Day?” Andie asked in mock seriousness.

“Sacre bleu! J’ai oublie´!” Steff exclaimed, sounding a lot like Pepe Le Peu.

Andie erupted in laughter. “I didn’t know you spoke French” an appreciative gleam in her eyes.

“Mais, oui, ma petite chou-chou” Steff breathed in her ear, as he kissed his way down her neck. “Everything I know I learned from a Warner-Brothers cartoon.”

Andie closed her eyes and let her head fall back, reveling in his attentions. “So what did you just say to me?”

Steff halted his explorations and looked up, giving her a lopsided grin. “It really _is_ a term of endearment – I guess. _For the French anyway_. Roughly translated, it means ‘But yes, my little cabbage’” He rolled his eyes and shrugged. “I did actually take French in high school, but about the only other thing I can remember how to say is ‘ _What an ugly baby’_ and ‘ _Where’s the bathroom?_ ”

Andie clapped and giggled. “If we ever go to Paris, it sounds like you have our language barrier difficulties covered.”

Steff nodded, “Wait til you see me in Tijuana” he grinned, his eyes flashing. “I’m on _fire!”_

“As long as you don’t get us tossed into a Mexican jail, we’ll be good. All the Spanish I know consists of the Frito Bandito commercial, which probably won’t be terribly helpful” Andie laughed.

Steff shuddered, “Maybe we’ll stay out of Mexico” he reconsidered, alarmed by thinking about having to get either one of them out of a Mexican jail. He pulled her close again, kissing her for long moments. “What time do you need to be at Trax?” he asked, pulling away from the kiss and glancing at his watch.

“Not for a while” Andie smiled up at him seductively, “Why? What’d you have in mind?” she breathed softly, nuzzling his neck and gently sucking on his earlobe.

Predictably, all the blood shot straight to Steff’s groin, thickening and hardening him instantly. _Jesus, Kitten, if this is the effect you have on me now, I’ll never survive the honeymoon._

“Well, I thought we might want to go over the cherry pie recipe again” he whispered, grasping her bottom and pulling her snugly into his extremely impressive erection. “I want to make sure we didn’t forget any of the ingredients.”

“ _Well, nothing says lovin’ like something from the oven_ ” Andie grinned naughtily, as she began to kiss him silly.

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Steff stopped in Trax for a minute before embarking on his errands. After Andie greeted Duckie, who was already wearing a large green, pointy elf hat, she kissed Steff goodbye, making sure he would be back by six to pick her up, and then made her way to the back room to see what Iona had in mind for her Christmas display. Steff greeted Duckie warmly, shaking his hand, “What’s up, D-Day?” Nodding at Duckie’s elfin haberdashery, he remarked “That’s some bad hat, Harry.”

“My paisan, Stefan!” Duckie exclaimed, running his fingers along the brim of his hat, “You like it? Iona wouldn’t let me wear the rest of the outfit.” He shrugged, a tad dejectedly, “Still plenty of time to break out the matching pointy shoes before the big day though.” He leaned across the counter, “You crazy kids all ready for the big feast tomorrow?”

“We have a date to make pies tonight” Steff replied, grinning.

Duckie regarded Steff appraisingly, nodding, a knowing gleam in his eye “I’ll just bet.”

“Decorum prevents me from further responding to that remark” Steff said mischievously. “So what’s Iona got on tap for her Christmas display?”

“Oh, she’s got something kinda cool cooked up – kind of a ‘Rock & Roll Heaven celebrates Christmas’ thing. She and Andie are gonna knock it out of the park.”

“Cool” Steff replied. “I look forward to admiring their artistry upon my return.” As he turned to go he asked “Are you and Iona spending tomorrow together?”

“Yes” Duckie answered, “Iona’s making lasagna” At Steff’s puzzled look he shrugged and rolled his eyes, then glanced around to see if Iona was in the vicinity, listening, then leaned across the counter, conspiratorially. “Save me some turkey, willya?” he whispered. Duckie threw his hands in the air, jutting his jaw out, and then placed his hands on his hips and looked at Steff in mock outrage. “ _What the hell, man! **Lasagna!** Criminy!_ My people didn’t go to all the trouble of fleeing the old country, risking life and limb to get over **_here_** so I could eat _lasagna_ on Thanksgiving! _Sheesh!”_

Steff burst out laughing. “You got it Duck-man” As he continued to laugh he asked, “Any particular pie you’re fond of? Or in keeping with the old country theme should I whip up some cannoli?”

Duckie nodded, doing a pretty credible impersonation of Marlon Brando, quoting a line from the Godfather, “Leave the gun, take the cannoli” then added “Pumpkin or apple, if you please.”

“You want a cappuccino with 20 sugars when I come back to get Andie?”

Duckie eyes widened in anticipation. “That would be _awesome!_ With all that sugar and caffeine, I can keep Iona up all night! Then maybe she’ll be too tired to cook tomorrow and we can go out and eat turkey at Denny’s like normal Americans.” He nodded enthusiastically, eyes widened, **_yes!_**

Steff laughed at Duckie’s Machiavellian machinations, all just to get out of eating lasagna, but agreed, “You got it, dude.” He turned and began to walk toward the door, “See you later, man.”

“See ya” Duckie smiled, adjusting his elf hat to a jauntier angle. _I can’t believe I used to think he was such an asshole._

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Andie and Iona worked all afternoon on the display, which was set up on the elevated platform at the rear of the store. It featured a large Christmas tree, and gathered around it, opening presents, were indeed several luminaries from Rock and Roll heaven. Featured around the holiday tableau were Karen Carpenter digging into a turkey all by herself, John Lennon seated on a couch and wrestling a yellow toy submarine out of Keith Moon’s hands, Jimi Hendrix handing Janis Joplin a present, Jim Morrison answering the door and greeting an unseen guest, and last, but certainly not least, Elvis putting the star on top of the Christmas tree.

“I can’t believe you were able to make these mannequins resemble all these famous people” Andie marveled.

“Well, it’s really just a case of seeing who you’re expecting to see. I mean, as soon as you put those glasses on him, no one else looks like John Lennon. The only one I’m a little worried about is Keith Moon; we’re gonna have to make him look a little wild eyed” Iona replied, staring at the collection.

“You think Karen Carpenter scarfing down a turkey dinner by herself is a bit over the top?” Andie chuckled.

“Hey, I think when you get to rock and roll heaven you get to eat whatever you want.”

“Sounds reasonable to me. I think we’re going to need more sequins for Elvis’s jumpsuit though” Andie remarked, nodding.

“Okay, let’s hit the fabric store, and we’ll stop and pick up some dinner on the way back” Iona said, glancing at her watch. “I want to have you back in time for Steff to pick you up. Mustn’t keep Mr. Wonderful waiting!” she laughed.

“He _is_ dreamy, isn’t he” Andie sighed, realizing that she sounded like a lovesick dork, but not caring a bit.

Iona smiled lovingly at Andie and nodded and said softly “ _Oh hon, I envy you **so** much._ Enjoy this time of your life sweetie. It’s so special.” Then she turned and bellowed to the front of the store, startling the crap out of Andie, **“** _ **Duckie!** What do you want for dinner?_ ”

Andie rolled her eyes and laughed.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Blane pulled up in front of Trax and took a few moments to calm his nerves and go over once again what he planned on saying to Andie. And, if she wasn’t still working there, he reviewed how he would charm Iona into giving him her phone number. After a few minutes, he inhaled deeply and got out of the car and made his way into the store.

As usual, Duckie was manning the register, dancing around and singing along with Elton John’s “ _Step Into Christmas_ ”. He had his back to the door, so Blane didn’t immediately recognize him, being distracted by Duckie’s weird looking hat. Duckie executed a pretty mean double spin and did a double take upon coming to a stop.

“ _Well, as I live and breathe!_ If it isn’t everyone’s favorite major appliance, **_Blaaaane!_** ” He jerked his chin in the air, “What brings you to the wild side of town, home slice?”

Blane blinked, not realizing it was Duckie until he began to speak. This was a startling and unpleasant surprise. _Oh **great,** Duckie hates my guts_. Blane could feel the beginnings of his anticipated lucky day going south. He tried to recover from his dismay and paste a pleasant expression on his face. “Oh hey, Duckie” he smiled, trying to sound enthusiastic, “I didn’t know you were working here now. It’s nice to see you. How’ve you been?”

“I’ve been great! Thanks for asking” Duckie nodded, glancing at his watch. _5:45pm – **Perfect.** Steff should be back to pick Andie up any minute. This is gonna be fucking **awesome!**_ Steff had told Duckie all about Blane’s stupid letter to Andie, which made Duckie nearly as angry as it had made Steff. Duckie thought Blane needed his ass pounded to hell and back, and was willing to Rock-Paper-Scissors Steff for the opportunity. However, Duckie was fairly certain that Steff had reserved the right to kick Blane’s ass all for himself. Didn’t mean that Duckie couldn’t be there when it happened though. All Duckie had to do was stall Blane for a few minutes, and hope that Steff showed up before Iona and Andie did, then stand back and watch the fur fly.

“So Andie tells me that you’re going to Northwestern, that right?” Duckie asked, “How are you liking it up there?”

Blane paused, taken aback that Duckie was being so nice to him. When Andie had dumped him again that last week of school, Blane had taken steps to stay out of Duckie’s path. Between putting the smack down on Steff the week before, and being an astonishing hit with several of the ladies at prom, Duckie had been sporting a new-found swagger that last week of school, and Blane thought it wise to play least in sight. After suffering the indignity of being dumped by the same girl twice in 2 weeks, he didn’t need the added mortification of having his ass kicked by Duckie.

“Uh, it’s been pretty good” Blane answered. “My classes are pretty easy, and I think I did fairly well on my finals.”

“So what about the chicks?” Duckie asked, wagging his eyebrows up and down. “They hot?”

Blane smiled and looked down, “Yeah, some of them are pretty awesome.”

As Blane was looking down, Duckie glanced out the storefront window and saw Steff walking past, on his way to the coffee shop. _**Perfect,** right on time_. Steff made eye contact with Duckie and smiled and made a drinking motion with his hand – _You still want coffee?_ Duckie nodded, smiling, and Steff grinned and nodded in acknowledgment and continued to the coffee shop, evidently without noticing who Duckie had been talking to.

Blane looked back up just as Duckie’s eyes snapped back to him, and Duckie gave what he hoped was a sincere looking smile and said “Well, Blane, I’d love to hear all about it!”

Blane gave Duckie a puzzled look, becoming somewhat wary of Duckie’s newfound interest in his personal life. “So Duckie, you mentioned that Andie told you I’m at Northwestern. So, I’m guessing that means that you guys are still in touch?” _Maybe he doesn’t hate my guts after all._

Just then a customer approached the register, ready to check out. “’Scuse me a minute, Blane” Duckie said, moving to ring up the sale. Blane nodded, and moved to the side, looking over the merchandise in the display cases while Duckie chatted with the customer, and completed the sale. Duckie was very talkative with the lady, but oozed so much charm that she never realized he was just using her to waste time until Steff made it back in. After several minutes, he finished bagging up her purchases, wished her a Happy Thanksgiving and sent her on her way. As the lady exited the shop, a new customer, carrying a cup of coffee entered silently, immediately zeroing in on the customer at the register.

Blane picked up where he left off, “So _Andie?_ You still see her?”

“Oh yeah, of course” Duckie replied, nodding, “We’re all getting together tomorrow, as a matter of fact.”

“So then you’ve seen her recently?” Blane asked, his eyebrows raised.

_“Very_ recently” Duckie answered.

Blane cleared his throat and stared up at the display wall behind Duckie, and asked in what he hoped was a nonchalant voice, “Does she ever talk about me?”

A hand silently slid Duckie’s cappuccino across the counter, followed by about 20 packets of sugar.

Duckie barely suppressed a grin, winking in acknowledgement.

“Well, not to **_me,_** of course, but she might have mentioned you to _Steff._ Why don’t you ask him yourself.”

Blane’s eyes widened in shock, snapping back to Duckie, who was grinning merrily into his coffee cup while busily opening sugar packets and dumping them in his cappuccino. Duckie looked briefly back at Blane and grinned and nodded in Steff’s direction, indicating that Blane should turn around.

Blane swallowed hard and turned around slowly to look up into the coldest, steeliest pair of blue eyes he had ever seen in his life.

“ _Well, hello **Buddy.**_ **”**

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*


	36. Chapter 36

Steff slid in the door as a lady was leaving, smiling at her as he held the door open for her. As he stepped into the store he was arrested by the sound of Blane’s voice, asking Duckie if he was still in contact with Andie. Steff halted in his tracks, his nostrils flaring in anger as he inhaled deeply, as though identifying some unwary prey who was about to get torn limb from limb. A murderous red haze descended over his vision, momentarily blocking out everything except one relentlessly hammering notion.

**_You are a dead man._ **

All of Blane’s treacherous lies and machinations came roaring back to the forefront of Steff’s brain, and he flashed back to the horrifying sensations he experienced each time he contemplated the success of any of Blane’s objectives, all of which culminated in the end game of Steff losing Andie. _**Never** gonna happen, **Buddy.** She’s **mine** now. I’ll see you **dead** first._

Steff took two deep breaths, allowing a menacing calm to fall upon him as the red haze of rage lifted, leaving in its place a **_much_** more dangerous resolve. He walked soundlessly up to the counter and listened as Blane asked Duckie if Andie ever talked about him. Steff slid Duckie’s cappuccino across to him, glancing at him as he did so, and then placed a mountain of sugar packets down next to the cup. Steff took note of how Duckie appeared to be about to burst with suppressed glee, watching Blane unsuspectingly tighten the noose around his own neck.

Duckie winked at Steff. _I got your back, buddy._

Duckie answered Blane, “Well, not to **_me,_** of course, but she might have mentioned you to _Steff._ Why don’t you ask him yourself” he replied, grinning, and nodding behind Blane to where his doom stood waiting.

Blane’s shoulders stiffened and the hair rose on the back of his neck. _Oh_ **fuck.** Blane slowly turned, wide eyed, to look up into Steff’s hooded gaze, which was burning into him with an unholy frozen glow.

“ _Well, hello **Buddy**_ **”** Steff said softly, an ominous threat evident in every syllable, as he took a step forward and clapped a hard hand on Blane’s shoulder, squeezing him firmly.

**_“Ow!”_** squeaked Blane, before he could stop himself. Trying to recover, and backing up a step, seeking to evade Steff’s grasp, he breathily exclaimed, “Oh **_hey,_** Steff. Didn’t see you there… How’s it going, man?” as he glanced around wildly, seeking escape, refuge, rescue – didn’t matter, he would grab ahold of whatever presented itself first. Blane looked at Duckie for assistance, but Duckie just stood there sipping his coffee, an avid gleam in his aspect, his eyes ping-ponging back and forth between them as though he had a ringside seat for the most riveting movie ever made – clearly _he_ was going to be of no help whatsoever.

Steff continued to advance on Blane, not releasing his hand from his shoulder. “Everything is going really **_well,_** thanks” he answered smoothly, the implied promise of threat being a clear and present danger. Steff reached out, grabbing the lapels of Blane’s coat in both hands, halting his retreat. At his panicked expression, Steff softly smiled, then straightened the collar of Blane’s coat and brushed off his shoulders and lapels, neatening him up a bit. _A man should look nice when he goes to meet his Maker,_ Steff thought. He then stood motionless, examining Blane for an unnerving amount of time, saying nothing, allowing Blane to squirm a bit, wondering what was coming next.

Steff then abruptly shifted gears, throwing Blane mentally off balance. “How’s that creative writing class you’re taking, coming along there, Buddy?” Steff asked, patting Blane on the back, the _old,_ bored sounding, insolent, “high school Steff” reappearing for a command performance. And even though he hadn’t acted like this in _months,_ it was astonishingly easy to slide back into that persona, like easing into a well-worn pair of Levi’s.

Blane blinked uncomprehendingly.

“Was that a class assignment or something – that letter you wrote to Andie?” Steff nodded, smiling faintly in recollection, his voice dripping with that jaded and impudent tone Blane remembered so well. “We figured it must have been. Like a group project – _‘Imbecilic Letters To Ex-Girlfriends’._ We sure got a _huge_ kick out of it.” Steff then paused, cocking his head and regarding Blane for a moment, a faux look of bewilderment dawning in his eyes.

“ _Oh no_ ” he chuckled, as though an amusing thought were just occurring to him, “you weren’t **_serious_** about any of that, were you?” he asked as he threw his head back and roared laughter.

Blane inhaled sharply, his fists clenching as his eyes narrowing in anger, his tiny mouth pursed in fury. “ _That letter was the **truth**_ **”** he vehemently insisted, blinking rapidly, his eyes beginning to sting from humiliation. _She let him read my letter? They were **laughing** at me?_

This only made Steff laugh harder, a few tears leaking from the corners of his eyes.

Duckie wished mightily for some popcorn to go with **_this_** show. _Steff my brother, you are an evil fucking genius._

As Steff’s laughter quieted, he slowly shook his head and narrowed his eyes at Blane. “Since you were _clearly_ operating under some kind of delusional mental illness, allow me to set you straight” Steff began, all traces of levity vanishing at once, as though they had never been there at all. The effect was eerily _terrifying;_ the steady, emotionless calm with which Steff spoke was somehow more threatening than if he had been blatantly angry. The “old” Steff persona fell away and in his place instantly appeared this new, threatening and unfamiliar Steff; one who was quiet, lethal and in _deadly_ earnest. His eyes blazed with that ungodly blue fire; he looked _crazy_ in a calm and rational way; as though he might suddenly go psycho on your ass and you would never see it coming. Blane’s nuts drew up into tight little nuggets as they tried to ascend back from whence they came, and an icy chill ran down his spine.

Steff continued in that composed, reasonable tone that was imbued with a palpable sense of threat, “Andie is with **_me_** now. She’s _happy.”_ Steff paused to let that sink in for a moment. He raised his right eyebrow, staring Blane down. “You will not contact her again. _Are we clear about that, **Buddy?**_ **”**

Blane squared his shoulders and looked up into Steff’s eyes. “No, we are not ‘ _clear about that, **Buddy’**_ **”** Blane swallowed and inhaled deeply, continuing, “I don’t take orders from you, and I’m not leaving here until Andie hears the truth about you.”

Duckie winced, shaking his head. _Shoulda beat feet while you had the chance, asshole._ Duckie abruptly turned and walked over to the turntable to change the record.

_“Andie_ already knows the truth about me” Steff said quietly, shaking his head. “And she loves me anyway. And there’s not a goddamn thing you can say or do to change that.”

“We’ll see about that. We’ll see what she has to say when I tell her all the things you used to say about her” Blane retorted defiantly.

Steff said nothing, just raised his eyebrow and ran his tongue over his teeth, thinking. “When you hear from her own lips how she feels, will you agree to go away and leave us alone then?”

Blane scoffed, “Sure thing, Steff, although once she gets a load of what I have to say, I think _you’re_ gonna be the one who’s _going away_.” Blane’s chest puffed up, thinking he had Steff on the ropes.

Blane was evidently unfamiliar with the truism that pride go-eth before a fall.

“Forgive me if I beg to differ, Buddy” Steff said, lazily examining his fingernails, “I think you’re shortly gonna be singing a different tune.”

_Like this one_ , Duckie smirked, returning to ring-side, just as the Everly Brothers began to blare over the store’s stereo system.

_Bye-bye love, Bye-bye happiness_   
_Hello loneliness, I think I’m a-gonna cry_   
_Bye-bye love, bye-bye sweet caress_   
_Hello emptiness, I feel like I could die_   
_Bye-bye my love, goodbye_

As Phil and Don Everly continued to bemoan how their girl sure looked happy with her new guy, Steff began to chuckle, turning to look at Duckie with an amused, knowing gleam in his eyes. Duckie stood with his arms folded across his chest and jutted his jaw at Steff in acknowledgment, winking at him with brotherly affection. That sealed it for Steff; from this day forward, for now and ever more, he would die for Duckie. _As soon as I get done kicking Blane’s ass, I’m asking Duckie to be my best man._

Blane looked up at the ceiling, listening to the lyrics of the song, growing angrier as the song progressed.

“And just so we’re all on the same page, _Buddy,_ and regardless of Andie’s reaction to your revelations, **_you’re_** not leaving here until I kick your ass for lying to Andie about me saying you couldn’t bring her to my graduation party” Steff said flatly, regaining Blane’s undivided attention.

All the color drained from Blane’s face as his eyes widened in shock. **_Fuck!_** He hadn’t counted on Andie telling Steff that he had said that. It was such a ‘Steff’ thing to say, he figured he’d never get caught in that lie. _Why did I ever fucking tell her that?_ It had been a stupid thing to say, and had ended up back-firing on him hugely. The real reason he had even said it was because he didn’t want to take her to Steff’s party and have to introduce her to his parents, and his parent’s friends, who would all be in attendance. Then it would just run rampant through the WASP grapevine, about how Blane had brought some underprivileged stray to Steff’s party; his parents would be mortified, and he’d have to listen to a never-ending ration of shit about it. It totally wasn’t worth it. It would be so much easier to just blame it on Steff and let him take the fall. And it really wasn’t even like he was telling _that much_ of a lie – all the people there _would_ think she was trash. And besides, Andie hated Steff’s guts, she’d never find out the truth. Or so he’d thought.

“You trying to kick my ass isn’t gonna change Andie finding out the truth about you, Steff” Blane shrugged, trying to appear unconcerned, “And when she does, **_you’re_** gonna be the one singing ‘Bye-Bye Love’”

At that moment, Iona and Andie entered the store from the back, giggling and talking, both heavily laden with bags, both from shopping, and from the Chinese take-out joint a few blocks down. All three guys turned at the outburst, their attention riveted on the new arrivals. Iona came in first, and immediately spied Blane standing next to Steff. She made eye contact with Steff and smiled reassuringly at him, although inwardly she was thinking, _Oh boy, this ain’t gonna be good._

Iona asked loudly over her shoulder as they made their way to the front of the store, “Andie, hon, are you sure you don’t want to stay and have some dinner?”

Andie had not looked up since entering the store, concentrating on watching where she was going and balancing the bags she was holding as well as the drink holder full of Iona and Duckie’s drinks, and trying not to spill any of it. “No thanks, Iona” she replied as she reached the front counter and set her load down. “I just want to get home to Steff.”

Iona smiled. _That’s my girl_. “Well, speaking of Mr. Wonderful, here he is now!” Iona exclaimed, a genuine note of joy in her voice.

Andie looked up, and saw only Steff. Never even noticed Blane. “ _Hi Baby!_ ” she exclaimed, as she smiled a dazzling smile and fairly flew to his embrace, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him soundly. At last she pulled back from the kiss and hugged him tight, whispering in his ear “ _I missed you so much, Baby. I want to go **home** now._ ” Steff held her tight, letting her love wash over him, his heart swelling with love for her.

“I missed you too, Kitten” he whispered, kissing the side of her head as he stroked her back, staring daggers at Blane.

After a moment, a voice in the background tentatively interrupted “Uh, hey Andie.”

Andie pulled back minutely from Steff’s embrace, looking into Steff’s eyes, bafflement clouding her gaze. She turned, sliding under Steff’s arm, resting possessively across her shoulders, as she slid hers across and around his back, remaining under the protection of his embrace. Her gaze landed on Blane and her spine involuntarily stiffened and her eyes widened slightly in surprise. She felt Steff’s hold on her shoulders harden marginally before relaxing again, and in reflex she took half a step behind him, moving to allow Steff to take his place as a greater barrier between her and Blane. And she never _ever_ released her hold on him.

Steff’s chest swelled with pride. Whether Andie realized it or not, she had just sent him and everyone else in the room the clear non-verbal signal that **_he_** was her mate, and she relied upon him to protect and defend her.

“Blane” Andie remarked flatly. “What are _you_ doing here?” She shook her head, “Never mind. I _know_ why you’re here. Save it, I don’t care.”

Blane smiled, trying to soften her up a little. “You look great, Andie. How have you been? How is school?”

Andie gave Blane a perplexed look, _Are you nuts?_ She then turned her face up to Steff’s, looking at him in bewilderment, _Is this weird, or is it just me?_ Steff raised his right eyebrow and nodded at her slowly, _Yep Kitten, this is weird_. Steff was inwardly elated that he and Andie were so close that they could carry on an entire conversation with each other without once opening their mouths.

Blane could see that his attempt at softening Andie up was falling flat. Time to switch to Plan B, and just cut right to the chase. “Andie, could we go somewhere and talk for just a minute?”

Andie looked at him like he was crazy. **_“No,_** Blane. I’m not going anywhere with you, and I’m certainly not a bit interested in anything you have to _say.”_

Time to quit wasting time and pull out the big guns. “Andie, I need to talk to you about Steff. There are some things you should know. Things you should know about the way he _is._ And about the way he talks about you.” Blane paused and took a deep breath, “He’s _scum,_ Andie, and deep down, he thinks **_you’re_** nothing but _trash.”_

Andie’s spine stiffened and her jaw clenched in rage, as her eyes blazed with ferocity. She inhaled deeply, her nostrils flaring in fury. **_No one_** talked about _her_ man like that. Duckie winced, being intimately familiar with that expression, and he took a step back in precaution for the eruption he knew was coming. _You done gone and pissed off the Redhead now, buddy. Stand by for obliteration._

**_“You_** don’t know a _thing_ Blane. And you’re not worth the time it would take to explain it to you. Suffice it to say that there’s _nothing_ you can tell me about Steff that I don’t already know, and I’m not interested in listening to another goddam _word_ that comes out of your mouth.” Andie was building up a head of steam, ready to explode. **_“Steff_** has never _once_ lied to me, or been too much of a coward to stand up for me. **_He’s_** a **_man.”_** Andie’s eyes burned straight through Blane, scorching him with her contempt, _**“You**_ are a **_pussy._** _Now get the hell out of here and don’t ever come back.”_

Steff was alternately honored by how vehemently his woman was defending him and a tad worried that in another minute or two he was going to have another Benny situation on his hands. Andie had a temper, and while she had never unleashed it on _him,_ he _had_ witnessed it first-hand. Steff locked eyes with Duckie, who winced, shaking his head. _It’s not gonna be pretty man, save yourself._

Blane’s eyes widened in shock at the way Andie was speaking to him, and then narrowed in anger. “What are you even doing with _him_ anyway, Andie? Do you owe him for something?” His voice dripped with derision, “What’d he do, _get your old man a **job?”**_ Blane snorted, “You’re _both_ trash. You _deserve_ each other.”

Andie’s eyes gleamed in fury, as Steff’s spine stiffened, his hands clenched in rage. Andie quickly stepped out from the shelter of Steff’s embrace and turned, facing him, placing her hand on his chest where she could feel his heart pounding as though it were about to burst out of his chest. Steff inhaled deeply, trying to get his urge to kill Blane under control, and looked down into Andie’s eyes.

“I’m going to go get my purse, and then I’m going to be ready to go home” she began. “But while I’m gone…” she paused, her eyes blazing.

“ ** _Kill him.”_**

“ _You got it, Kitten_ ”

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.


	37. Chapter 37

Andie spun around and locked eyes with Blane, a hellish fury emanating from her fiery topaz depths, as she began to make her way toward him on her way to the back. As she approached, she growled, “ _And don’t you **ever** fucking say another **word** about **Steff** or my **dad** again_ ” and lightning fast, her fist moving with such speed it was literally just a **_blur,_** she cracked Blane in the eye with a right jab, never even breaking stride as she did so.

Everyone in the room blinked in astonishment, uncertain they had just witnessed what they thought they did – except for Blane, that is. “ ** _Ow! Dammit!_** ” he yelped, as his head rocked back, and he grabbed his eye, which was already swelling closed in reaction. Recovering from his surprise first (and because _really,_ he **_knew_** his girl and her actions weren’t _completely_ unanticipated) Steff threw back his head and roared laughter, his heart swelling with pride for his Kitten with the heart of a lion.

His laughter quickly dying down, Steff glanced at Iona and Duckie and politely said, “Excuse us, won’t you?” and grabbed Blane by the shirtfront and hauled him, half blind, through the front door and to the sidewalk outside. Duckie moved to follow, but Iona placed her hand on his arm halting him.

“Let Steff handle this himself, sweetie.”

“ _I just wanna watch!_ ” Duckie plaintively whined.

“You can see just fine from here, now shush, or we’ll miss what they’re saying!” Iona replied, never taking her eyes off the proceedings.

_“Listen up, fuck-stick_ ” Steff began, “I’m going to make this simple for you. Don’t _ever_ contact Andie again. You stay the hell away from both of us. _We clear about that?_ ”

Not waiting for an answer, Steff punched Blane in the gut with all the pent-up fury he had been carrying around for weeks, since reading Blane’s letter trying to sabotage his love. Blane folded in half, **_“Oof!”_** and would have hit the deck except that Steff was still holding him by the shirtfront.

**“** _ **That** was for lying to Andie about me saying she wasn’t welcome at my graduation party, you gutless **asshole**_ **.”** He continued to hold onto Blane, waiting for him to regain his feet. At last Blane stopped wheezing and stood back upright, looking dazedly at Steff.

_“And **this** is for telling Andie all those stupid, fucking lies in that letter”_ Steff growled, as his fist solidly connected with Blane’s mouth, jarring his teeth and cutting his bottom lip, which instantly began to swell, matching his eye. Blane’s head rocked back with the force of the impact, but Steff maintained his steady hold on Blane’s shirt, making escape impossible.

“ ** _Goddammit!_** ” Blane exclaimed, grabbing his mouth with both hands, although it actually sounded more like “ ** _Od ammit!_** ”, what with his recently loosened teeth, and all.

Steff waited a moment to let that sink in and then smiled the scariest, most terrifying fucking smile ever smiled in the history of smiles. Blane’s head was reeling, and his one good eye widened in fright, petrified of what Steff was going to do to him next. _She told him to **kill** me – and I think he’s actually gonna do it!_

“ _And **this** is for insulting my girl”_ Steff snarled, as his fist forcefully collided with Blane’s nose with a satisfying, resounding crunch. Blane yelled in agony, grabbing his broken nose, blood gushing out in a torrent down his face. Steff quickly released his hold on Blane’s shirt, before he got any blood on him, and Blane crumpled to the ground.

Steff placed his hands on his hips and leaned over, resuming his calm, reasonable tone and said, “The next time you see Andie, she’s going to be _Mrs. Steff McKee_ , and _mother-fucker_ , you don’t even want to **_think_** about the ass kicking you’re gonna get if you ever insult my **_wife.”_**

Blane made no response, other than the moaning and choking on blood that was to be expected. Steff chose to interpret this as understanding, although he would have been happy to explain it further, if needed.

Steff glanced up to see Andie almost to the door. He stepped over Blane’s carcass and opened the door for his love.

“Ready to go, Sweetheart?” she asked, never even looking down at the bloody, groaning heap that was her ex-boyfriend.

“You bet, Kitten” he smiled. Steff stuck his head inside the doorway and looked at Iona and Duckie, who were standing there, in open-mouthed shock from witnessing the beat down Steff just put on Blane. “We’ll see you guys tomorrow at 4!”

Iona and Duckie both just nodded, wide eyed, as Steff closed the door.

Steff put his arm around Andie, guiding her around Blane. As she stepped past him, she glanced down, noting his obviously broken nose.

“ _Oh how thoughtful, honey, you made him match Benny_ ” she laughed, gazing up at him in open adoration.

Steff’s laughter rang down the street as they walked to his car.

Duckie watched the gleam of headlights as they pulled away into the night, and then slowly made his way over to the front door. With his hands on his hips he thoughtfully regarded Blane, who was still lying in a crumpled mound on the sidewalk. _Yeah, stay down, bitch,_ he thought dismissively, as he turned and went back to finish his dinner.

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Much later that night, after first aid to mutually bruised knuckles was performed, and pie baking was completed, Andie and Steff lay in bed, wrapped in each other’s arms, kissing and talking.

“You’re my _hero,_ you know that?” Andie asked, looking at Steff, love shining in her eyes.

Steff’s chest swelled with male pride. “Yeah, but this is _twice_ now that you’ve taken a swing at someone on my behalf.”

Andie smiled, squeezing him tight. “No one’s _ever_ gonna say a cross word about you in _my_ hearing, Steff. The world might as well get adjusted to that idea.”

Steff laughed, kissing the top of her head. “You sure you don’t have some professional boxers in your family tree Kitten? You’ve got the meanest right jab I’ve ever seen in my life.”

Andie giggled, “Actually, I think when my great-great grandfather first got to America, he used to wrestle bears in a travelling circus.”

Steff erupted in laughter. “That explains a _lot,_ Kitten.” He continued to laugh, “Man, I can’t wait to tell our kids that one.”

“What makes it even more impressive is I’m pretty sure that they don’t have bears in Ireland” Andie noted.

Steff smiled, his arms tightening around Andie, drawing her closer, running his hands up and down her back. “I wonder what he practiced on then? You don’t just jump up and decide to start wrestling bears one day.”

“Leprechauns, maybe” Andie giggled, as she began to kiss her way up Steff’s neck.

“Yeah, I understand they’re pretty feisty – especially if you try and take away their Frosted Lucky Charms” he chuckled, parts of him beginning to be very interested in what Andie was doing to his neck.

“Well, I find **_you_** ‘ _magically delicious’_ ” Andie murmured, running her hand down his chest, and trailing her fingers through the line of hair disappearing into Steff’s boxers. Andie was endlessly aroused by Steff, her compulsion to touch him, to hold him, was at all times overwhelming. “ _God, I can’t **wait** to marry you_ ” she breathed, before kissing him deeply, as her fingers began to slide lightly up and down the front of his rapidly tenting boxers, her nails dragging over his erection and ratcheting up his passion exponentially.

After a few moments she broke from the kiss to whisper in his ear, “You don’t know what you **_did_** to me, fighting for me like that” she panted, stirred by the memory of the arousal she felt when Steff defended her, as she deftly slipped his shorts down and tossed them aside. The cool air of the bedroom combining with the heat of Andie’s hand firmly wrapped around his manhood, slowly stroking him, made Steff groan aloud, his eyes rolling back in his head as he hoarsely whispered her name.

_Oh Jesus, Kitten_. Steff inhaled sharply as Andie began to demonstrate in earnest the depth of her appreciation of his defense of her in the face of Blane’s insults.

Andie lithely rolled on top of Steff, kissing him deeply as the warmth of her core heated Steff’s already fevered skin through the thin barrier of her panties. He reflexively thrust up against her, moaning into her mouth, “ _Kitten, **please!**_ **”**

Andie slowly kissed her way down his chest, taking each nipple in her mouth and suckling it in turn, as she deliberately worked his expanding staff with her hand, causing Steff to growl, his hands fisted in the covers as he lunged against her, being driven mindless with need. Steff’s lungs were heaving, his pulse was roaring in his ears, all conscious thought having been expunged from his mind. Andie continued her journey south, encountering his navel now, and she ran her tongue around the outer rim of it, nuzzling her face in the hair on his stomach, causing Steff to groan and thrust against her in response. Steff’s breath hitched in his lungs, and he became unable to draw another breath, as Andie continued her sojourn, kissing her way down the line of hair on his stomach until she arrived at her inevitable destination.

Steff’s whole world was now solely focused on what Andie would do next. His heart **_slammed_** in his chest as he felt her warm breath on his engorged head, and he struggled to lift his head up to watch her slowly plant a wet kiss on the tip, as she then ran her tongue all the way around, in a slow circuitous motion. Steff’s head fell back on the pillow as he cried out her name in a frenzy, trying (and failing spectacularly) not to thrust himself into her mouth. Steff was in a transcendent sort of blissful agony, he had never experienced anything so near to heaven in his life.

Andie, having never done this before, needed to take a moment to familiarize herself with the terrain. She methodically kissed her way down his length, laving his flesh with hot, wet kisses, swirling her tongue over and around his length, working herself down and then back up again, to surround his head, and caress her lips against the sensitive underside, causing Steff to jerk and cry out.

**“** _ **Fuck,** Andie!_ ” he gasped, drawing a rasping breath, **“** _ **Jesus Christ,** Kitten, **Please!**_ **”** Steff cried, senseless with need, mindless with desire. His fists were wound tightly in the sheets, his arms straining against their binds. He didn’t dare put his hands on his Kitten’s head – he would be powerless to stop what would occur next.

Andie grasped Steff’s manhood with one hand and drew him up away from his belly, and whispered, her voice rough with desire, **“** _ **This** what you want, Baby_?” as she slowly descended upon him and drew him into the warm confines of her mouth. Steff gasped and cried out, as he thrust helplessly, his lungs seizing up, rendering him incapable of drawing further breath. Andie’s hot, wet, soft lips surrounded Steff, and she slid as much of his enormous erection into her mouth as she could manage, taking him in as far as she could, for as long as she could. She started at an agonizingly slow pace, driving Steff into a frenzy of craving, until she had him senselessly thrashing, begging her for release. As she slowly drew him in and out, she ran her tongue around his throbbing flesh, swirling around his over-stimulated nerve endings, making him insane.

Steff cried out Andie’s name over and over, _begging, **begging**_ for her to finish him off, “ _Oh **God,** Kitten, please. **Please!**_ **”** as she increased the pace, working him with her hand, as her mouth and lips and tongue continued their ministrations, pausing for the briefest of moments, torturing him, spinning out the ecstasy, before at last drawing him all the way in, and bringing him to a powerful, relentless climax.

Steff’s heart stopped for a second before the most powerful orgasm of his life **_burst_** from him, blinding him with a flash of light behind his eyes, so magnificent, it seemingly illuminated all of creation for a moment. He was transported by a sensation so exquisite, it defied description. He cried out, in bliss, in anguish, in joy, in wonder… in **_Andie._**

As the pulsating in his loins began to abate, and Steff slowly began to regain consciousness, he found himself unable to reconcile his wonder at what had just transpired with his immediate desire to do it again. It was causing a short circuit in his brain. After many moments, and allowing his pulse rate to begin to climb down from its frenzied gallop, Andie slowly released him from the heaven of her mouth and began to kiss her way back up, stopping to nuzzle her face in his stomach and chest hair. As his chest continued to heave with the aftermath of his climax, and he struggled to draw breath, he gathered her in his arms and held her tightly, compulsively squeezing her to him, unable to let her go.

**_“God”_** he panted, his breathing ragged and uneven, “ _I love you so much!_ ” He swallowed hard, _“If this is what me defending your honor does to you, I’m gonna do it more often!”_

“Well” Andie answered, nuzzling his neck, “I’m a firm believer in ‘ _to the victor belong the spoils_ ’”

“ _Boxers, bear wrestlers, and now evidently pirates. I can’t wait to marry into your family, Kitten._ ”

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

A/N: Thanks for reading! All reviews are greatly appreciated! Leave me a note and let me know what you think


	38. Chapter 38

“ _Have I mentioned how thankful I am for you, Kitten_?” Steff held Andie tightly to his chest, unable to bring himself to release her just yet. Check back in a few hours. Say eight. Maybe ten. Okay, **_twelve._**

“Not for the past hour or so, no” Andie replied, giggling. Steff’s chest was still heaving from his exertions. Truth to tell, Andie was rather out of breath as well.

“ _That was…”_ words utterly failed him. How do you tell the woman you love that she just executed the most mind-blowing sexual endeavor you’ve ever been on the receiving end of, without making any reference to any of the other times that particular kindness has been performed for you? Those other acts of kindness meant nothing – utterly paled in comparison – there **_was_** no comparison. And not because Andie was possessed of any particular technical expertise in the matter; because it was clear that she had never performed that kindness for anyone else - it was due solely (well, okay, maybe _not **solely**_ – there might have been a _little_ beginner’s luck and natural talent coming into play) to the fact that she loved Steff beyond all reason, and that love and adoration imbued every action she took, it came pouring out in every look, every word, every touch, every caress, every kiss (no matter where that kiss happened to be placed.)

Steff inhaled deeply. _Let’s try this again_. “Kitten, that was _amazing”_ he whispered softly, his voice filled with awe, as he held her to him tight. **_“You_** are amazing.” He kissed the side of her head, nuzzling his face in her hair. “I’ve _never…”_ Steff couldn’t speak past the lump gathering in his throat. It meant more to him than he could say that she would demonstrate her love for him thusly, and that again, as seemingly in all things, she had chosen him to be her first. Steff drew a ragged breath and could feel his face heating with a blush, his voice catching, “ _I love you **so much**.”_

Andie stretched a bit, then snuggled a little closer into his embrace, kissing whatever part of Steff she came in contact with. “So then you think you might like to do that again sometime?” she asked, cheekily, feeling pretty pleased with herself. It was abundantly clear from his enthusiastic response that he’d like to do that at least once a day, every day, for the rest of his life.

Steff could only stare bemusedly at the ceiling and chuckle in response, “ _Ya **think?**_ **”** Andie giggled as well, kissing him soundly.

When their laughter died down, Steff nimbly rolled on top of her, Andie’s legs automatically wrapping around him to cradle him, making him feel safe and well loved. Steff gently placed his forehead against hers, closing his eyes and breathing deeply, thanking God for the gift of this woman. When he opened his eyes, they were glittering with unshed tears. He gave Andie the softest of kisses, whispering against her lips how much he loved her.

They kissed for long minutes, Steff taking his time in increasing Andie’s level of desire. Although before they said their final goodnight, he planned to have her writhing in the same frenzy of craving that she’d had him.

A sudden thought popped into his head. “Kitten” he whispered between kisses, “do you happen to remember in which direction you flung my shorts?”

“ _Honey, this really isn’t a great time for me to take a quiz_ ” Andie answered breathlessly, distracted by his fingers rolling and stroking her sensitive nipples.

Steff chuckled, kissing her as he laughed. “No, _seriously,_ Kitten. _One_ of us needs to be wearing underwear – and in about 30 seconds _yours_ are gonna be hanging from the lampshade – so I need mine.” He momentarily broke from kissing her and stared into her eyes, smoothing her hair back from her brow, as he inhaled deeply, shaking his head, “Kitten, you have **_no idea_** how hard it’s getting for me not to make love to you.” Actually, Andie _did_ have a pretty good idea of how hard it was getting, since it was… **_well,_** getting hard again as they spoke. But she understood what he meant.

Andie’s breath caught as she gazed up into his heavy lidded stare, his sapphire eyes dilated in desire, molten and searing her to her core. _God **damn!**_ Andie had never wished so fervently to be Steff’s wife, _right goddammit **now**_ **,** as she did just then. She _yearned,_ **_ached_** for him, her flesh throbbing at the thought of having him inside her. Andie plunged her hands into Steff’s hair, pulling him down to her, whimpering softly as she kissed him, her hips straining up against him, rubbing her aroused flesh against his thickening manhood, driving them both insane.

Steff kissed her deeply, his hips pistoning involuntarily, seeking contact. “ _I want to be inside you **so** badly, Kitten - it’s **killing** me”_ he growled against her lips, thrusting against her center again and again. It was only due to a Herculean restraint that he managed to respect the barrier (which, let’s face it, was no real barrier at all) of her panties, now drenched with desire, the damp, silky material rubbing against their throbbing flesh and intensifying their mutual need for release.

Andie’s blood was aflame, moisture flooding her core as desire ran rampant through her veins. “ _Get these on right now_ ” she rasped, drawing a ragged breath, as she felt around blindly on the bed until at last she managed to find his shorts and hand them over.

Steff got himself into his underwear and Andie _out_ of hers faster than the speed of light, neither one any longer in the frame of mind where going slowly seemed like a workable idea. As promised, Andie’s underthings went flying in different directions, destinations unknown, as she pulled Steff down to her and kissed him deeply.

Andie gave a low moan of desire as Steff settled his weight fully upon her, the craving she felt for him a voracious hunger that engulfed her utterly, every time she felt his body resting atop hers. Of their own volition, her hips lifted, reflexively seeking to further and deepen the contact between them. She groaned against his lips as her hands grasped his bottom, pulling him into her even more tightly, “ _I love feeling you on me, Steff_ ” as she rubbed her throbbing flesh against his burgeoning length, squeezing him in a vice-like grip between her thighs. She drew a ragged breath, staring up into the beautiful sapphire depths of his eyes, _drowning_ in them, her blood roaring in her ears, insane with desire, _“I want to feel you **in** me_.”

Steff growled, deepening their kiss, as he snaked a hand between them and began to circle Andie’s throbbing bundle of nerves at her center, giving her what she needed, as he continued to slowly thrust against her. Her slickened flesh, already pulsating and aroused beyond reason, responded instantaneously, hurtling her into a powerful climax that stopped her heart and stole her breath, as she gasped and cried out Steff’s name. Steff broke from their kiss and watched, enraptured, as Andie’s orgasm overtook her, transforming her features in heavenly release, changing her from merely a beautiful woman, into God’s most divine creation.

Love will do that to you.

Steff felt his heart seize in response, love surging in his veins and bursting forth in an agonizingly painful torrential sort of bliss. “ _God, I love you_ ” he whispered, a note of divine wonder in his voice, his eyes widened in awe, as he watched her face, transfigured in love, exalted in passion.

As her contractions began to abate, Steff dragged his drenched fingers through her dewy curls and brought them to her pebbled nipples, swirling and painting them with her juices, and lowered his head to suckle their hardened, pink tips, making Andie cry out in response.

Andie’s breathing was labored, her heart pounding so ferociously it threatened to burst from her chest. She was mindless, unable to grasp her body’s response to Steff’s ministrations. She should be completely spent, but if anything, she was even more aroused, feeling like she was only on the uphill climb to utter fulfillment.

Steff didn’t stop, _wouldn’t have stopped if you had held a gun to his head_.

He drew each nipple fully into his mouth in turn, his teeth lightly grazing their tips before his tongue swirled around her dusky areolas as his lips pulled them in, suckling them firmly, the tugging sensation rocketing straight to Andie’s womb, awakening something fierce and primitive inside her. Her hips thrust against him, seeking release, powerless to stop the onslaught of desire rushing through her veins. She cried his name over and over, her voice infused with passion, in supplication, as though his name was a prayer to which she desperately sought answer.

Steff trailed hot, wet kisses down her torso as his hands took over where his mouth had left off, massaging and kneading Andie’s achingly full breasts and she breathlessly anticipated his arrival at the destination she had been craving. As he settled his mouth upon her mound, encapsulating her throbbing bundle of nerves in the warmth of his swirling tongue, all the air left her lungs in a _whoosh_ , and she gasped “ _Oh **God,** Steff, **please!**_ **”**

Steff laved her hot, aching flesh with tortuously slow kisses, tasting and savoring her, driving her insane with need. Andie’s hands plunged into Steff’s hair, seeking to hold him in that one special spot in vain. Her efforts at immobilizing his progress and confining it to one particular area were futile however. Steff, and Steff alone, was driving this train, and he was going to get his woman there in the timing and manner of his choosing. And tonight, he was choosing to take the scenic route.

He gently, but firmly disentangled her fingers from his hair, placing them at her sides to clench in the sheets, chuckling lightly against her flesh at her impatient entreaties for release, as he ran his tongue up and down, over and against her folds, over and over until Andie could only sob his name in reaction. He continued to gently nip and suckle at her flesh for long minutes, never quite hitting the sweet spot for very long before moving on to relish and taste spots an infinitesimally small distance just out of reach of where she ached for him to be, teasing her unmercifully, binding her to him eternally.

Andie _implored_ him to finish her off, her voice straining with need, her head thrashing back and forth mindlessly as she pleaded for completion. **“** _ **Steff,** baby, **please….** I can’t….Oh God, **please**_ **”** she begged repeatedly as her hips thrust against him, insane with desire, her very blood on fire.

_Okay Kitten, I’ve made you wait long enough._ Steff returned his lips and tongue to her throbbing center, swirling and suckling as he deftly slid one digit into her tight passage, and then added another, making her gasp and buck her hips, loudly crying his name over and over, as she flew apart around his fingers. Steff’s hand was pressed firmly against her nether lips, making a rocking motion against her plumped, drenched flesh, as his fingers were buried to the hilt within her walls. As he continued to lick and kiss her bundle of nerves, he made the “come here” motion inside her, hitting that magical area within, causing Andie to clench around him and silently scream his name, as another orgasm rolled through her, more massive, infinitely more powerful than its predecessor, the likes of which she was unprepared for. This ecstasy was excruciating in its supremacy, all-encompassing in its scope, blinding in its power. Andie was left sobbing, utterly wrecked in its wake, unable to process what had just transpired. Conscious thought was, and would continue to be, for about the next four or five hours, completely beyond her.

Steff wrung out the bliss until Andie was utterly spent, possibly even a bit unconscious, before withdrawing his fingers and placing a final goodbye kiss against her swollen, throbbing, exhausted flesh. Steff slowly made his way back up her figure, coming to rest atop her again, and reached, freeing his own engorged flesh from the confines of his shorts, to take himself in hand and get there with his girl. It didn’t take long; being so aroused from the kindnesses he had just performed on Andie, and her reactions thereto, his own needs were achieved almost immediately. At the last moment Andie roused enough from her own orgasmic stupor to move Steff’s hand aside, enclosing him in her own, to participate in his blessed release. As his climax burst forth from him, he growled deeply, thrusting into her hand, completely consumed by love for his soon-to-be-wife.

 

The future _Mr. and Mrs. McKee_ were utterly shattered, spent and drained, both mindless and struggling for breath. No one spoke for a long time. At last Steff rolled off Andie, coming to rest on his back, staring sightlessly at the ceiling, all his gears blown. Andie lay there as well, boneless, unthinking, and unblinking until a few moments later she drew a deep breath (her first in quite a while) and rolled towards Steff as he simultaneously reached for her, pulling her in tight. They had lasted a whopping 15 seconds without touching.

Steff’s mind flashed back to when he and Andie had first gotten together, remembering how impossible he felt it would be for him to love her any more deeply than he did at the time. He now found that notion laughable. She owned him utterly; heart, mind, body and soul. He would never make it without her now. _God, **please** don’t ever make me have to try. I won’t survive._

They only managed to stay awake for a few more moments, kissing and whispering how much they loved each other, before succumbing to the call of Morpheus. As he curled around Andie, enclosing her in the warmth and protection of his arms, Steff remembered, on this, their first Thanksgiving together, to thank God for the most precious gift that he had ever been given, and swore to the Almighty that he would protect her with his very life, promising to cherish her until God called him home.

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

A/N: Thanks for reading! Please leave me a review and let me know what you thought!


	39. Chapter 39

Thanksgiving Day dawned cloudy and cold; the kind of day that our lovebirds would have been delighted to spend the entirety of in bed, and if it hadn’t been for the impending expectation of a feast, and company due to arrive at four that afternoon, they would have happily blown the entire thing off to spend the day under the covers, feasting upon each other. Andie slowly opened one eye to glance at the clock. It was going on 8 a.m. Andie sighed and snuggled deeper under the covers as Steff tightened his hold on her, spooning her from behind, still in the exact same position in which they had fallen asleep hours before; evidently even sound asleep he was unable to bear being parted from her. Andie dozed lightly for a few more minutes, but the knowledge that she had to get up and get the bird in the oven kept her from falling back into the deep sleep that Steff was enjoying.

Andie slowly stretched and yawned, rolling over and nuzzling her face in Steff’s chest hair as she wrapped her arms around him, as still sleeping, he pulled her closer, entwining his legs in hers. She breathed him in, inhaling deeply and deliberately. _God, you smell so good._

“ _Baby_ ” she whispered against his chest, “Let me up. I gotta get the bird in the oven.”

Steff made a groaning noise and tightened his hold on her. Andie rightly interpreted this as a “ ** _No_**.”

She smiled against his chest. “It’s Thanksgiving. Don’t you want to eat turkey later sweetheart?”

Steff began to show vague signs of life. He kissed the top of her head, nuzzling his face in her hair and inhaling deeply as he ran his hands up and down her back. _“Bird in hand_ ” he whispered, his voice rough (and sexy as hell) from sleep.

Andie giggled. “I’ll come right back, I promise” as she kissed him on the neck, working her way up to his lips. She kissed him softly, loving the way he relaxed into the kiss, how he reveled in the absolute rightness of their being together.

At long last Steff slowly opened his heavy lidded eyes, staring at Andie with such love and longing that it set her blood on fire. “ _No, Kitten_ ” he whispered, the low timbre of his voice thrumming in Andie’s veins, “ _I need you **here,** with **me**_ **”** He blinked slowly, inhaling and exhaling deeply, **_“Please.”_**

Andie smiled, nodding. _Nobody said we gotta eat at noon_.

She kissed him softly before rolling back over, letting Steff resume the spooning position he so loved to sleep in. As she sank back into his embrace, wrapped snugly in his arms, Andie closed her eyes, listening to his deep, even breathing as he fell back asleep, holding tight to the woman he loved.

“ _I love you so much, Steff_ ” she whispered, as she fell back asleep.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

 

“What channel is the parade on, Kitten?” Steff called, surfing through the channels as Andie buzzed around the kitchen, chopping and mixing, stopping periodically to consult the cookbook. “Oh, I found it” he reported after a moment.

“Hey, check it out, it’s the Monkees!” Steff exclaimed.

Andie immediately dropped what she was doing and ran to the living room. _Hell with that turkey, I wanna see **Davy Jones!**_

Andie skidded into the room, her eyes locked on Davy Jones on the television. “ _Oooh, look! He’s **so** adorable!_ ” Andie gushed, her hands clasped to her breast.

Steff regarded her bemusedly, shaking his head in delight. “Andie, honey, dude’s old enough to be your father.”

“ _Come to **Daddy**_ **”** Andie murmured, her eyes never leaving the screen.

Steff burst out laughing.

“I used to race home from school every day to watch their reruns” Andie reminisced. “I had the _biggest_ crush on Davy Jones. I wanted to _marry_ him.”

Steff chuckled, rolling his eyes. “What is with you girls and Davy Jones? Blanca’s daughters were all the same way. How come no one ever had any love for Mike Nesmith?”

“That dork-ass hat he always wore, would be my guess. I mean, it was kinda cute on _him,_ but really, who wears a knit cap with a giant ball on it at the beach?”

Steff laughed, nodding, “I see your point.”

“And Mickey was kinda cute, and funny – I guess he would have been my second choice. And Peter was cute too, but he was such a goofball, you mostly just wanted to take care of him so he didn’t get lost.”

Steff regarded her fondly, “I had no idea you’d put so much thought into your Monkees Matrimonial Score-card, Kitten.”

“Oh yeah, everybody did” Andie answered nodding, her eyes still glued to the screen. “And don’t tell me you didn’t do the same thing with Charlie’s Angels” she laughed.

“Okay, you got me there” Steff agreed, nodding.

As The Monkees performance came to a close and the show went to commercial, Steff enclosed Andie in his arms and began to slow dance her around the living room. He smiled down into her eyes and asked, “What’s your favorite song of theirs, Kitten?”

_“I’m A Believer_ ” Andie answered at once.

Steff’s eyes opened wide in delight. “Mine too! That song is my jam! Know who wrote it?”

Andie kissed him sweetly, “Nope! _Illuminate_ me, please.”

“Neil Diamond. He also wrote ‘A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You’, another great Monkees tune. I can’t _believe_ he’s so schmaltzy now; he used to be able to write a heck of a pop tune.” Steff shook his head in disappointment.

“How do you _know_ all this stuff?” Andie asked as Steff continued to dance her about the room.

“Periodic insomnia, which can actually be somewhat useful” Steff answered. “I spend a lot of time reading whatever’s lying around.”

“I’ve never known you to have insomnia” Andie cocked her head, studying him as Steff twirled her around. “Do you have a hard time getting to sleep when I’m here?”

Steff pulled her close, holding her to him tight and kissed the side of her head. “Kitten, the only time I ever fall right to sleep is when I’m holding you. When you’re not here, I can’t sleep at all.”

Andie looked at him, concern clouding her aspect.

Steff smiled gently, “Don’t worry, Kitten. I sleep like a baby when I’m with you. And having insomnia has had the added benefit of turning me into a _wicked_ Trivial Pursuit player. Trust me, you _always_ want to be on my team.”

“No wonder you know everything” she smiled up at him. _Oh crap, the bird!_ “Oh! I gotta get back to the turkey!” Andie remembered.

Steff kissed her soundly, releasing her reluctantly. “Need any help in there, Kitten?” as he followed her back to the kitchen.

“Yeah, if you don’t mind….reach your hand in there and pull out everything you find” Andie nodded toward the bird, as she resumed chopping celery for the dressing.

Steff said in his best TV announcer voice, “Stay tuned for this week’s episode of _‘Doctor Steff McKee, Avian Gynecologist’_ where we join the good doctor as he excavates his latest patient.”

Andie erupted in raucous laughter. “Just throw whatever you find into that pan, please. I need it for the giblet gravy.”

“You’re putting turkey guts in the gravy?” Steff asked, looking a trifle green.

Andie shrugged. “It’s what the recipe says to do.”

Steff inhaled deeply, plunging his hand inside the bird. He fished around until he pulled out the neck, looking at it in puzzlement. **_“What_** the hell is this?” Steff paused a moment before asking in horrified shock, “Did they put this turkey’s **_dick_** in here?” Steff shuddered in revulsion, “ _Oh that’s **it,** Kitten, I am **not** eating this!”_

Andie was about to pee herself laughing. It was a long time before she could speak; every time she almost got it together enough to speak, she erupted in fresh peals of laughter, tears running down her face. At last she just waved Steff out of the kitchen, “Go watch the parade, baby – I’ll take care of it.”

Steff tossed the offending part ( _whatever the hell it was_ ) in the pan, ran some water on top of it and placed it on the stovetop. He then washed his hands, ecstatic to be excused from such disgusting proceedings, although he inwardly got a huge of kick of listening to Andie erupt in residual bouts of giggles every few minutes.

He called from the couch, “You never answered my question, Kitten. What _was_ that?”

That made Andie start laughing all over again. Between the rounds of merriment she managed to blurt out _“Neck!”_

_**Oh.** Okay. I draw the line at eating gravy made of some poor turkey’s Johnson._ “You don’t have any other culinary surprises lurking back there for me, do you, Kitten?”

“Does this mean you don’t want to know what’s in mincemeat?” Andie giggled.

Steff shook his head in alarm (even though Andie couldn’t see him) and thought, _I wonder if it’s too late to go to Iona’s for lasagna?_

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

The bird was done and out of the oven, and it smelled heavenly. The last two things to get to the table were the rolls and the gravy. Andie closed the oven door and set the timer for the rolls and set out to make the gravy. She looked in the pan where the neck and giblets had been covered, simmering for a while now. Only there was something missing. Namely, the giblets. The only item in the pan was the neck. Puzzled, Andie called “Steff, honey? What did you do with the giblets? They were in with the neck.”

Steff got up from the couch where he was watching Green Bay beat up on Detroit. “ _The who in the what-now?_ ”

Andie smiled lovingly at him. “The giblets – you know, the little package of guts inside the turkey?”

Steff shook his head. “The only thing I found was the turkey’s di… the _neck”_

Andie was confused. “There was nothing else inside the turkey?”

Steff shook his head again, shrugging.

Andie shrugged, deciding not to worry about it. Maybe they purchased a ‘giblet-free’ turkey and just hadn’t noticed. No biggie.

Andie began to make the gravy. “Okay, sweetie. We’re gonna be ready to go in about ten minutes, if you want to pour our drinks.”

Ten minutes later the timer went off for the rolls, but Andie still couldn’t get the gravy to thicken up. She looked at the cookbook again. _If the gravy is too watery, add cornstarch or flour, and stir until thickened,_ it read. Andie added a tablespoon of cornstarch, and after a few minutes, when it still hadn’t thickened up, added another. A few minutes later, another. At last, she gave up, leaving the ladle in the pot with the watery, unappetizing mess.

As she brought the rolls to the table, laden with food, she remarked, “Sorry, Sweetheart, I couldn’t get the gravy to turn out.”

Steff scoffed, “Kitten, you did a wonderful job with everything. And _‘turkey Johnson juice_ ’ isn’t going to make or break the meal” he added laughing.

Steff reached to take Andie’s hand, and bowed his head to say grace, thanking God for all their blessings, _especially_ for the blessing of having each other.

Their first Thanksgiving together was _perfect._

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

After the meal Steff was in the kitchen, putting together a plate for Duckie, and packaging up the left-overs. As he was finishing pulling the remaining meat off the carcass, he noticed a white plastic-wrapped package inside the bird’s cavity. Mystified, he picked it up, examining it closely. _What the hell?_ After a moment, understanding dawned and he began to laugh.

“ _Found the giblets, Kitten!_ ” he called.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Promptly at 4:00pm there was a knock on the door and Steff opened it to find Duckie and Iona standing there, smiling. Duckie had on a tall black pilgrim’s hat, with a huge gold buckle on the front, and Iona was wearing a full blown Indian princess get up, all the way down to a black wig with braids hanging down to her waist and a feathered head band. Steff regarded them both with an amused expression.

He lifted one hand in greeting, raising his right eyebrow, “How.”

Iona laughed and nodded towards Duckie and said in a stilted ‘Hollywood Indian’ dialect “White devil here want-em turkey.”

Steff laughed and stood aside, allowing them entry. “Then you’ve come to the right place!” He kissed Iona on the cheek as she came in and then shook Duckie’s hand, following it up with a hug. “Happy Thanksgiving!”

Duckie and Iona came in and greeted Andie with kisses and smiles all around. The girls sat down on the couch to talk while Duckie and Steff went to the kitchen to get Duckie’s long-desired, much anticipated turkey dinner. Steff got their drinks and sat down at the table while Duckie warmed his plate up in the microwave. After a moment Duckie came back out, holding what looked like the world’s ickiest lollipop. It was a solid, yet gelatinous brown ball of goo, with a silver handle sticking out of it.

He brandished it at Andie and Iona. “Okay, I gotta know…what the _hell_ is this? Do you have some bathroom tiles that fell down and need to spackled back up onto the walls?”

Steff threw back his head and roared laughter, having until now forgotten all about Andie’s attempt at making homemade gravy.

Andie narrowed her eyes at the malignment of her gravy attempt, but then joined in the laughter as well. She looked lovingly at Steff, “Okay Buddy, next year, _you’re_ on Johnson Juice duty”

Duckie flung the gravy-pop into the sink with alacrity, an alarmed look on his face. _“I don’t **even** want to know what that meant_ ” he shuddered.

“Yeah, no, you really don’t” Steff agreed, laughing.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

A/N: Thank you for reading! Your comments make life worth living, so please leave a review and let me know what you think!


	40. Chapter 40

Steff and Duckie stood outside on the balcony, talking, while Steff smoked a cigarette. As they stared out into the chilly, star-filled sky, Duckie glanced back over his shoulder to make sure neither of the girls were within eavesdropping distance and then leaned in to Steff and said, “So, I gotta know, was it _awesome,_ kicking Blane’s ass?”

Steff chuckled, nodding, “I’m not gonna lie – it felt pretty great.”

Duckie grinned, “Andie got in a pretty nice shot, herself. I don’t think anyone saw that one coming, _especially Blane!_ ”

Steff took a deep drag on his smoke and laughed lightly, “He has a pretty stupid habit of underestimating Andie. _Thank God_.” He exhaled, shaking his head, “I’m just glad it’s over. I don’t ever want to see him anywhere near us ever again.” Steff paused, considering, “Did you see him leave?”

Duckie gave a bark of laughter, “Yeah, eventually he got up and staggered off to his car. His shirt was covered in blood. Probably gave his mom a heart attack when he came walking in the house.”

Steff shrugged, “His old man was in the Marines back in the day. He probably took him back outside and kicked his ass for getting his ass kicked.”

They both laughed.

After their laughter died down, Steff turned and looked at Duckie and said in an easy, casual voice, “So, listen, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Duckie said nothing, just raised his eyebrows expectantly.

“I wanted to thank you for what you did last night” Steff said sincerely, staring into Duckie’s eyes.

Duckie shrugged, smiling wryly and shook his head dismissively, “It was nothing, _Paisan Stefan_.”

Steff smiled gently, but in a softly emphatic voice countered “It _was_ something Duckie, it was something to **_me.”_** He continued, “I know you set that whole thing in motion. To use a fishing metaphor, you hooked him and reeled him slowly back to the boat – _hell,_ Blane never even knew he was _on_ the hook until it was too late.” Steff smiled appreciatively, an assessing gleam in his eye, “Andie’s not the _only_ one who has been sorely underestimated.”

Duckie blushed and looked down, bobbing his head, embarrassed by the compliment, but smiled a small smile, pleased by the acknowledgment. “Thanks. And you’re welcome. I’d like to think you’d do the same for me.”

“It means a lot to me that you had my back. So I’d like to ask you if you’d consider doing it again.” Steff smiled, “Only, under less bloody circumstances this time.”

Duckie raised his right eyebrow, puzzled, and waited.

“I’d like you to be my Best Man” Steff said simply.

Duckie broke into a huge smile, nodding, “ _Really? **Yes!**_ **”**

Steff smiled, pleased and relieved that Duckie had agreed with such enthusiasm. He clapped Duckie on the back, “Thanks, man. That means a lot.”

Duckie wasn’t having any of _that._ He hugged Steff fiercely, and said low, a catch in his voice, “You’ll take care of my girl, I know that.” He pulled back, ending the bear hug, “I couldn’t stand to let her go to anyone else.”

Steff nodded, looking understandingly into Duckie’s eyes with a newfound respect. _If I had to stand aside and watch Andie marry someone else…._ Steff couldn’t really even finish that thought. _I couldn’t do it – it would **kill** me._

They spent the next 10 minutes discussing wedding arrangements and made plans to get together Saturday to get Duckie fitted for a tux. Of course Steff already owned a tux, but maybe he’d take a look around and go with something different. He had an idea of what he wanted, but he wanted to flesh out the idea a little before making a final decision.

“Does Andie know any of this?” Duckie asked, already suspecting the answer.

“Nope” Steff answered, smiling. “And we’re keeping it that way. You’ve been sworn to ‘Best Man Secrecy’, so keep this under your hat.” Steff grinned, nodding at Duckie’s pilgrim head gear, “Your big, enormous, goofy looking hat.”

“Hey, I’ll have you know that Amish chicks totally dig this look. They like a guy with a big, shiny _buckle”_ Duckie laughed.

Steff threw back his head and laughed. “Hitting on Amish girls, Duck-Man? Where the hell do you even go to _meet_ Amish chicks? Barn raisings?”

“If you weren’t a soon-to-be-married man, I’d tell you. Let’s just say that one needs to have an innate love of _corn fields_ ” Duckie answered, cryptically.

Steff chuckled, shaking his head in bemusement. _I don’t even know what that **means**_ **,** his brow creased in puzzlement. _I’ll save that one for some night that Andie’s not here and I have insomnia._

Each laughing for their own private reasons, they went back in the apartment and ate pie with their girls.

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

 

It was still somewhat early when Duckie and Iona left, laden with left-overs. As Steff was placing them in a bag, Duckie pulled a can of Redi-Whip out of the fridge and asked, in what he hoped was a nonchalant vein, “Hey, can I have this?”

Steff glanced over and saw the can of whipped cream in Duckie’s hand. _“Somehow_ I don’t think you’re taking that to put on _pie”_ Steff noted. He reached, taking it from Duckie’s grasp, smirking as he answered “And, _no,_ you can’t have it, because you just gave _me_ a great idea.”

_“Goddammit”_ Duckie muttered as Steff laughed.

Steff opened the pantry and stood considering for a moment, before removing a brown plastic squeeze bottle and tossing it to Duckie, _“Here._ Knock yourself out.”

Duckie deftly caught the bottle, his eyes lighting up as he turned it over to read, _Hershey’s Chocolate Syrup_. He glanced up at Steff, smiling, “ _Thanks, man_.”

“Be sure and brush afterwards. Don’t want you to have to explain to your dentist, why the sudden spike in cavities” Steff grinned.

As the two couples said their final goodnights and Andie closed the door, Steff took her in his arms and nuzzled her hair, kissing her temple. “Did you have a good Thanksgiving, Kitten?”

Andie squeezed him tight, rubbing her face contentedly in his chest and smiling, “The **_best._** And you?”

“ _Every_ day is Thanksgiving when I’m with you, Kitten” Steff answered, sighing happily. Abruptly shifting gears, as was his wont, he playfully exclaimed, “Now go get your shoes on!”

“What? Where are we going? It’s Thanksgiving night. There’s nothing open” Andie remarked, a note of puzzlement in her voice. Nonetheless, being used to Steff’s spur of the moment plans (and by now, she knew full well how much he liked it when a plan came together) she slipped on her shoes and pulled their coats out of the closet. Steff pulled his jacket on and helped Andie into hers, reaching at the last second to pull an old blanket off the top shelf of the closet.

“You’ll see” he answered mysteriously, wagging his eyebrows.

Fifteen minutes later they pulled up at the only open place in town. There were a fair number of like-minded folks parked in the lot.

White twinkie lights illuminated the sign on the giant white tent. **_Winter Wonderland Christmas Trees!_**

Andie’s eyes lit up, sparkling in excitement. “A _tree!”_ she breathed. “Oh _Steff!_ A _real_ tree!” Andie swiftly exited the car, not even waiting for Steff to turn off the engine, her eyes as big as saucers, taking in the scene.

Steff hurried to shut off the car and catch up with her a few steps away, where she was standing stock still, her eyes closed, deeply inhaling the unfamiliar scent of fresh cut Christmas trees. Steff stood watching her, transfixed by how enchanting she looked, experiencing the fun of picking out a Christmas tree for the very first time. He absent mindedly rubbed his chest, where his heart mildly ached from the knowledge that Andie’s family probably didn’t get to splurge on luxuries like a real tree; they probably had to conserve funds for actual presents. His throat grew tight, and he struggled to swallow past the lump forming there. _I’m going to give you everything your heart ever desired, Kitten._

Andie’s eyes were closed, her head thrown back, arms spread wide, as she deeply inhaled the fresh cold air, a dazzling smile spreading across her face. At last she opened her eyes to see Steff watching her, his eyes full of yearning. She threw her arms around him, squeezing him tight, and kissed him soundly. Steff’s arms encircled her snugly as he ran his hands up and down her back, pressing her into him as closely as their cumbersome coats would allow. As their kiss deepened, awakening their senses, Steff fell into Andie with a hunger that was astonishing, his hands cradling her face, as a soft groan escaped him. The desire that existed between them sparked and flared and then roared back into the inferno that was its usual state of existence, igniting their blood, arousing them endlessly. When Andie finally pulled back from their kiss, her eyes were dilated with longing, her chest heaving as her pulse pounded in her ears. “ _I love you so much, Steff_ ” she said emphatically, drowning in the sapphire depths of his beautiful eyes; his beautiful eyes that were shining with love for her.

Andie kissed him gently and hugged him close, whispering in his ear “ _Thank you, Baby_. I’ve never had a real tree before.”

Steff’s chest swelled with pride that he was going to get to be part of another ‘first’ for Andie. As loathe as he was to compare any part of his existence to a Madonna song, he had to admit that Andie _did_ make him feel ‘ _Like a Virgin_ ’. Everything was new between the two of them – and even the experiences that weren’t new to Steff, felt new, because he was seeing everything, as though for the first time, through her eyes. He knew that in another few years he wouldn’t even be able to _remember_ life before Andie, she would flood his soul and subsume his very being. And that’s just the way he wanted it.

“You’re welcome sweetheart. Let’s go hunt your tree, Kitten, we’re gonna get you the biggest one that will fit in the apartment.” Steff grinned.

Andie’s first stop was at the scraggly little orphan trees that no one wanted, which she regarded with a pitiable look on her face. Steff rolled his eyes, shaking his head, knowing his girl’s big heart, he could tell where this was headed. “Kitten, we are _not_ getting you some ‘ _Charlie Brown Christmas_ ’ dried up, brown, needle-less dead stick. _Just, **no.**_ **”**

Andie erupted in giggles at Steff’s categorical rejection of the sad little trees. “Okay, Grinchy-Claus, let’s move on” she grinned, pulling him by the hand.

They spent the next half hour looking through the trees, examining them from all sides, laughing and kissing as they made their way through the tree lot. At last they found the perfect tree, a 6ft. blue spruce, nice and fat and round. Steff had the lot attendant trim it up a bit and put it in a stand so he wouldn’t have to jack with it when they got it home. Years of watching his dad swear a blue streak while trying to get the tree in the stand had taught Steff that on some things, it was much more pleasant to just go ahead and pay someone else to do it.

Andie was fairly bouncing with excitement as they got the tree into the apartment and set it up in front of the window. As she poured water into the stand, she inhaled deeply, delighting in the scent now wafting through the apartment. She stood back to look at it, a dreamy look on her face. “Oh Steff, _thank you_. It’s so _beautiful.”_

Steff stood behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist as he kissed her neck, smiling. “You’re more than welcome, Kitten. I’m glad you like it. We can have a real tree every year, if you want.” He kissed her neck, stopping to nibble in a particular spot he knew she favored. “We’ll have to go out tomorrow and get some decorations for it.”

_“Lights!”_ Andie exclaimed, excitedly. “Can we have lots and lots of lights?”

Steff chuckled, continuing to nibble on her neck, his hands moving from her waist to gently massage her breasts, “Whatever you like, Kitten. We can have nothing _but_ lights, if that’s what you want.”

“ _Our first Christmas together_ ” Andie breathed softly, as she turned in his arms, facing him fully.

Andie kissed him deeply, her hands trailing down Steff’s chest, unbuttoning his shirt as she went. Steff inhaled sharply as her fingers traced a path down his stomach, dipping into the waist band of his jeans and outlining his rapidly increasing length through his underwear.

“ _Can I sit on your lap now and tell you what I’d like for Christmas?_ ” she whispered breathily, looking up at him with a seductive gleam in her eyes.

Steff swallowed hard, the suggestive nature of her inquiry rocketing straight to his groin, stiffening him instantly. As Andie continued to stroke him through the thin barrier of his shorts, Steff grasped her bottom in both hands, pulling her softness into his hardness, groaning at the constraints of the contact. “Careful, Kitten, you’re looking like a candidate for the naughty list” he said, his voice thick with desire.

Andie smiled mischievously, “ _That’s what I’m counting on_.”


	41. Chapter 41

The clouds from yesterday had blown away overnight, leaving a sunny, yet cold, crisp, clear day. The kind of day you would feel guilty about spending in bed. Unless you were our lovebirds, that is. **_Every_** day was a good day to spend in bed, as far as they were concerned. Steff was awakened by the sunlight streaming in through a crack in the curtains, and he watched as Andie slept, her features relaxed in repose. _God, you are so beautiful_ , he thought, gently caressing her cheek with the backs of his fingers. His mind turned to the wedding night, and his longing to spend every moment for the rest of his life with her; to never be parted from her again. **Ever.** _Just a little while longer…_ Steff smiled to himself, thinking about their upcoming wedding, whose approach, unbeknownst to Andie, was imminent. He still had a lot of details to pull together, and not much time left to make it happen. He wanted their wedding to be perfect for her, because she _deserved_ a fairy tale wedding – even though he knew she would be perfectly happy hitting a drive thru wedding chapel in Vegas. Steff wanted more for her, however. They were only going to do this once, and he wanted her to have the best. His mind whirled at a breakneck speed, running through a list of items he had to get taken care of; the most pressing being finding somewhere to hold the wedding itself. As soon as he got that nailed down, the rest would begin to come together, and he could move on to the other particulars on the list. His restlessness to begin checking items off his ‘to do’ list left him unable to fall back asleep. Time to see if his Kitten could be persuaded to rise. Steff snuggled closer to Andie, breathing her in and running his hand possessively across her stomach, pulling her into him as he kissed behind her ear and rubbed his face in her hair.

“Ready to get up, Kitten?” he whispered.

He could hear the smile in her voice as she sleepily replied, while wiggling her bottom back against him, “Parts of _you_ are, I see.”

“Don’t tease me, Kitten. It’s now officially Christmas season; Santa Claus is watching” he chuckled.

“ _Boy, is **he** about to get an eyeful!_ ” Andie said naughtily, rolling over in Steff’s arms, delighting in the sound of his warm laughter.

They kissed and caressed for long minutes, steadily ramping up the heat, when they were interrupted by the unwelcome ringing of the telephone. After the third ring Andie broke from their kiss and breathlessly said, “Sweetheart, please answer that. It’s seriously bugging the crap out of me.”

Steff groaned and rolled over, reaching for the phone on the nightstand table, inhaling deeply and clearing his throat before answering, “Hello?”

“Hey Son, Happy belated Thanksgiving!”

Steff smiled, “Hey Dad, Happy Thanksgiving to you too. How’s the skiing?”

“It’s great! Your mom and I have been having a wonderful time.” Todd paused and cleared his throat. “Steff, you sound a little out of breath” Steff could hear the smile in his voice, “Did I call at a bad time? I’m not interrupting your morning workout, am I?”

Steff chuckled, and pulled Andie over to him, holding her tight and nestling her head on his chest. He placed a soft kiss on the top of her head as he ran his hands up and down her back. “Well, yeah, you _are,_ but my trainer is pretty flexible; she’ll probably let me get away with a quick break.”

Andie grinned against Steff’s chest, shaking her head in embarrassment.

Todd chuckled, “Well, I’m sure she’ll have your pulse rate back up again in no time. So, I don’t want to keep you from your _workout,_ but I wanted to let you know that the venue is available for the time and date we talked about. I made the arrangements, all you have to do is give your final approval and you’re good to go.”

Steff broke into a huge grin as an enormous weight rolled off his shoulders. _“Really?”_ Securing the location for the wedding on the date he wanted it was the preeminent hurdle he had been facing, and his dad had just made it disappear with a snap. _“Very_ impressive, Dad. How did you manage to pull that off?” Most places were notoriously packed on that evening, if they were even open at all, and had been booked solid for months.

Todd grinned, “Just utilized my vast storehouse of charm, Son. And my _epic_ powers of persuasion. It’s how I talked your mom into marrying me.”

Faintly in the background he heard his mom Barbara say, “ _It was because you were good in **bed**_ **.”** As Steff burst out laughing in response to that little revelation, he was pretty sure his mom didn’t realize the way her voice sometimes carried. She would be mortified if she knew he’d heard what she just said.

“Thanks for the ego stroke sweetheart” Todd said to Barbara, a smile in his voice. Returning his attention to his son he said, “Although I haven’t yet notified the management around here of the impending arrangements.” Steff knew then that his dad hadn’t said anything to his mom about what was going on, which was probably just as well. Barbara McKee was an inveterate planner (Steff came by his love of planning honestly) and she would probably have ridden roughshod over anyone who stood in the way of how she thought things ought to be.

Steff stared at the ceiling, thinking, as he absent-mindedly continued to play in Andie’s hair and caress her back. “When are you guys coming home?” He needed to introduce Andie to his mom, give them a chance to get acquainted.

“We’ll be back Saturday night. If you and Andie aren’t too busy, why don’t you swing by for lunch on Sunday?”

Steff tapped Andie on the shoulder, getting her attention and causing her to lift her head. “Lunch on Sunday?” he repeated, for her benefit. She quickly nodded yes, smiling as she softly kissed him. Steff smiled in return, briefly falling into her topaz depths before mentally shaking himself to return to his conversation with his dad. He cleared his throat, “Sure, that’d be great. What time do you want us there?” He listened, nodding, “Okay, we’ll see you at eleven.”

Todd McKee walked with the cordless into another room and quietly imparted another small bit of information to Steff. “Listen son, I don’t know what you kids have in mind as far as rings go, but I have an old friend on Washington Avenue who owns a jewelry store who would be happy to lend his expertise. When you get ready to take a look, let me know, and I’ll call him and tell him to expect you.”

“Thanks, Dad. Go ahead and give him a call. We’re going out shopping today, so we’ll swing by and see him.” Steff was gaining an even greater respect for his dad; Todd was smoothing their path seemingly every step of the way, and Steff was grateful for his help.

“Okay, great. His name is Tobias Green. You’ll like him; he’s a stand up guy.” Todd gave Steff the name and address of the jewelry store.

“Alright, Son, that’s all I have – I don’t want your _trainer_ to fuss at you, so I’ll let you get back to your _workout.”_ Todd said grinning.

Steff squeezed Andie to him and said quietly, a small catch in his voice, _“Thanks,_ Dad. For _everything.”_

Todd’s eyes stung a little and he blinked a few times. _Must be something in the air_. He cleared his throat past the lump that was forming and gruffly managed “You’re more than welcome, Steff. We’ll see you guys Sunday.”

“I love you, Dad”

Todd’s heart swelled. Steff’s relationship with Andie was a game changer, in more ways than one. Since Andie arrived on the scene, Steff had changed; he was no longer the bored, disdainful jerk he had been for the last several years; he was more thoughtful, easier to connect to – in fact he seemed to _crave_ connection now. As far as Todd was concerned, his future daughter in law could have anything she wanted, so deep was his gratitude for the changes she had brought about in his son. “Love you too, Son” he said, when he could speak past the tears that had gathered.

As they hung up the phone, Steff gathered Andie fully into his arms again, to pick up where they had left off. “Now, let’s see, where were we?” he asked, as he rolled her over onto her back, coming to rest atop her and staring deeply into her eyes.

Andie looked up into his beautiful sapphire orbs, warmth pooling in her center in response to the desire she saw etched there. She slowly dragged her legs up his, wrapping them around Steff’s waist, cradling him in the heat of her thighs as she pressed herself into his hardened sex. “ _Getting my name carved in stone on the naughty list_ ” she responded breathlessly.

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

It only took them three hours to make it out of the apartment.

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

Their first few stops were for Christmas decorations. After they were sufficiently stocked up on lights and ornaments, Steff pulled up in front of the jewelry store his dad had recommended. Andie glanced up at the storefront and looked at Steff, eyebrows raised expectantly.

Steff’s eyes flashed brilliantly, “Wedding rings, Kitten!”

Andie smiled, awash in love, head over heels for this man. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

Steff leaned across the front seat and kissed her. “I could stand to hear it a few hundred more times today” he replied, smiling.

Steff got out of the car and went around to Andie’s side, helping her out. As they entered the jewelry shop, an enormous black man glanced up from his place behind the display cases.

“ _Steff McKee!_ ” he exclaimed excitedly, and smiling broadly, as though they were long lost buddies.

Steff blinked, mildly taken aback, but recovered quickly, smiling. “Hi” he began, extending his hand, “Mr. Greene?”

“You better know it!” Tobias laughed jovially. “I would know you anywhere! You are the spitting image of your old man!” He smiled hugely, “Your dad and I go way back.” He turned his attention to Andie. “And who is this pretty little lady here?”

“Mr. Greene, this is my fiancée, Andie Walsh. Andie, this is an old, dear friend of my dad’s, Tobias Greene.”

Andie and Tobias smiled and shook hands as Steff explained that they were looking for wedding bands. Tobias led them to the cases filled with engagement rings and wedding bands and stood back as they began to make their selections. After looking at several styles of bands, Steff’s eye was suddenly caught by a diamond solitaire, sitting off to one side, separate from the other engagement rings. The stone wasn’t overly large, only about a carat – but that’s not what had captured Steff’s attention. As they continued to peruse the wedding rings, Steff’s eyes repeatedly returned to that one engagement ring, studying it, trying to comprehend why he was so drawn to it.

Suddenly, he understood, blinking rapidly. He made eye contact with Tobias, and tapped his finger surreptitiously on the case right above the ring. Tobias understood at once, nodding, and moved to remove the ring from the case, placing it on a swath of black velvet where it glimmered and twinkled. As soon as he had realized what kind of diamond it was, Steff understood why it drew him like a magnet, and why he had to have it for Andie.

“Kitten, what do you think about this one?” Steff asked, showing her the ring.

At Andie’s sharp intake of breath, he knew he had his answer. Her eyes grew wide, as she stared at it, captivated. The stone sparkled with a faint pink tinge, not really even noticeable unless one looked closely, but in a certain light, it seemed to glisten, throwing off multi-colored sparks that flashed and glowed against the gold of the setting. It was the most beautiful ring Andie had ever seen in her entire life.

“I’ve always thought you looked pretty in pink, Kitten” Steff said, slipping it on her ring finger, his heart swelling with love as he watched her eyes widen further and fill with tears as she stared first at the ring, and then up at him, her throat closing up, overwhelmed. Her love for him shone so clearly in her eyes that Tobias involuntarily took a step back, loathe to intrude on such an intimate moment.

Andie at last dragged her gaze away from Steff’s eyes and looked back down at the ring on her finger; so perfect, it was as though it had been made with her in mind. Andie swallowed hard, thinking that a ring so beautiful must cost a fortune; there was no way she could accept it, no way she would let Steff spend so much money on her. She blinked several times and inhaled deeply, slowly shaking her head, tears threatening to spill over. She reluctantly removed it and placed it back on the velvet cloth, whispering “ _No, baby_ ” and turned, lowering her head as she continued looking at wedding bands, fiercely blinking back her tears.

Steff was stunned. He was so **_sure_** that she would love the ring. He stood, perplexed and astonished, blinking in confusion. _What’s the matter? She **loves** that ring! It’s **perfect** for her!_ He opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong, but then closed it with a snap as understanding dawned. _She doesn’t want to take it because of how much it costs. She doesn’t want me to think she loves me for my money._ Steff was momentarily flummoxed, before smiling inwardly, his heart filled to bursting knowing that his girl would willingly turned down something that she very badly wanted, out of concern for his feelings. If that wasn’t love, he didn’t know what was.

As they continued to examine rings, Steff took notice of how often Andie’s eyes would slide back over to the pink diamond, the look of longing clearly evident in her eyes. Still, she said nothing, never reconsidering her decision. At last, they arrived at a decision on their wedding bands, choosing plain gold, simple and elegant.

“Did you guys want to get these engraved?” Tobias asked.

“Absolutely” Steff answered. “Hers should say ‘ _Put this back on at once!_ ”

Andie and Tobias both laughed. “If you hadn’t told me what it was going to say, I would have never known, because I was never going to take it off” Andie answered, sweetly, kissing him.

They settled on something simple and succinct. Steff’s ring would be engraved “ _Andie’s_ ” and Andie’s ring would be engraved “ _Steff’s_ ”. While Tobias wrote up the order, Andie walked around the shop, admiring all the other jewelry. When she stepped out of earshot, Steff slid a card with a date written on it across the counter to Tobias. “Could you please add that date after each of the engravings?” Steff asked softly.

Tobias grinned. “She doesn’t know when the wedding is?” he asked quietly.

Steff shook his head, “It’s a surprise”

“You’re not really gonna leave here without getting her that ring, are you son?” Tobias asked, his eyes sliding back down the counter to where Andie’s perfect, pink diamond sat sparkling.

Steff smiled. “Nope. Ring it up. I’ll be back in 3 weeks to pick it up.”

Tobias nodded, grinning, _“Just like your old man.”_

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

A/N: Thanks for continuing to read! Please let me know what you think!


	42. Chapter 42

Steff stood studying the Christmas tree, as Christmas songs played on the radio in the background. Andie had already put eight strands of lights on the tree, and showed no signs of stopping. _“Kitten”_ he began, a note of laughter in his voice, “it looks like we’re trying to land aircraft in here. If you don’t stop soon, you’re going to blow the transformer and the whole neighborhood is gonna go dark.”

Andie smiled, undeterred. “You know how you feel about Barry Manilow? Well that’s how I feel about Christmas lights.”

Steff chuckled, “Yeah, but looking at Barry Manilow isn’t gonna launch me into an epileptic fit.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that” Andie muttered, her hand shoved far inside the tree, adjusting the lights. “Just two more strands sweetheart, then it will be perfect. You’ll see.”

“Well, you’re the artist in the family – guess I’ll have to yield to your superior judgement.” Steff stepped back and began to unpack the boxes of ornaments; _although how they were going to fit anything else on the tree when it was already covered in a thousand lights was anybody’s guess_. While Andie wasn’t looking, he covertly slipped a small box into his pocket.

As Andie continued to fuss with the last two strands of lights she began to reminisce about Christmases when she was a little girl. “My favorite thing to do when I was little was drive around with my parents and go look at Christmas lights. I used to love to go to the rich people’s neighborhoods and see all the lights and decorations they would put up.” She smiled at Steff and good naturedly remarked, “Of course, _you_ probably just had to walk to the end of the driveway to see it.”

Steff smiled and looked down, a trifle embarrassed. He knew Andie wasn’t trying to make him feel bad; it wasn’t anyone’s fault that they had had such vastly different upbringings. Ultimately it would make them a stronger team, having a variety of experiences and differing perspectives upon which to draw. Steff shook his head, a memory resurfacing suddenly. “It’s funny you should say that, because _my_ favorite thing to do was go to Blanca’s house and see all the decorations in _her_ neighborhood. I always thought the decorations in my neighborhood were too….” Steff paused, considering. _“Sterile”_ he said at last. “Everything always fixed just _so_ – every house had a theme. I don’t know, after a while it seemed a little too cookie cutter to me. I became fond of the mayhem with the mixed up lights – solids here, flashing, multi-colored there, Santas and snowmen thrown in with wise men and Virgin Marys. I liked it all.”

Andie finished placing the last strand and smiled at Steff, **“** _ **Ta-daaa!** Light it up!_ ”

“Just let me find my protective eye wear first, Kitten” he said glibly, making a show of looking around. “ _I’m sure I have a welder’s helmet around here somewhere…_.”

Andie giggled, and turned off all the lights in the living room. “Ready?” she asked excitedly.

“Atomic batteries to power, turbines to speed” Steff answered, grinning.

Andie turned the switch on that controlled the power strip she had the strands plugged into. The tree lit up at once, casting the entire apartment into a disco-like glow, not unlike the aurora borealis. Andie laughed and clapped in delight. “Look how beautiful our tree is, Steff!”

Steff had to admit that the tree _did_ look pretty great. Who would have guessed? And honestly, he didn’t care what the tree looked like; he was too busy gazing at Andie, enjoying her obvious enchantment with her first real Christmas tree.

As she gazed spellbound at the tree, he stepped behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, pulling her close and kissed her temple. They stood silently for a minute, swaying gently to the Christmas music, happy in the moment, each thanking God for putting them in the other’s lives. At last, Steff slowly turned Andie to face him, keeping his arms snugly about her. “You did a beautiful job” Steff said softly, love shining in his eyes, kissing her softly. When he ended the kiss, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pale blue box, wrapped in a wide white bow. “I got you something, Kitten.”

Andie smiled, taking the box and pulling on the ribbon. As she lifted the lid, Steff watched as her eyes grew wide. “ _Oh, Steff_ ” she whispered, as she lifted the delicate crystal snowflake ornament, which glimmered and shone in the lights from the tree. “ _Oh, it’s **so** beautiful_ ” she exclaimed softly, her eyes shining with unshed tears. She held it close, only then noticing the etched engraving in small, elegant script.

_Steff and Andie_   
_Our first Christmas_   
_1986_

Andie began to cry in earnest, throwing her arms around Steff and hugging him so, _**so**_ tight. _“I love it!_ ” she whispered in his ear, inhaling raggedly through her tears, “ _I love **you**_ **”**

Steff smiled, letting her love wash over him, his heart full of joy, his soul at peace. “ _I love you too, Kitten._ ” He kissed her deeply, tenderly caressing her face, wiping her tears away.

When at last they ended the kiss, Andie returned her attention to the ornament. As she slowly twirled it, watching as it glinted and shone in the light, she softly said “This is the most beautiful thing anyone has ever given me.”

Steff sent up a silent prayer, _God, **she** is the most beautiful thing **you’ve** ever given me. **Thank you**._ Steff’s heart actually ached, seeing all the love revealed in Andie’s eyes; she loved him _endlessly_ – he could _feel_ it coming off of her in waves.

Andie returned her gaze to Steff’s beautiful blue eyes, and fell into them again, just as she had on the first day of school. She thought back to that day that now seemed so long ago, to them sitting on that bench after their first class and him asking her if she had room in her life for one more friend. She had known even then, as she had fallen into his eyes, she would end up drowning in them. Straight down to the bottom, never even once coming up for air.

Andie smiled up at him. “Pick out a spot Baby, and let’s hang it on the tree.”

By mutual decision, with no words spoken, they both reached for the same branch, and each holding onto the ornament, hung it together. It suspended there alone, the only ornament on the tree, and it looked perfect. They stood holding each other, Andie’s head resting on Steff’s chest, as she listened to the steady pounding of his heart, while he ran his hands up and down her back, pulling her to him tightly. _I’m going to make love to you underneath this tree, Kitten_ , Steff inwardly smiled, _many, **many** times._

“ _Know what I want for Christmas, Baby?_ ” Andie whispered, her face nuzzled against his chest.

“What, Kitten?” Steff kissed her forehead tenderly. “You know you can have anything you want.”

Andie lifted her head to meet his eyes, dilated in desire. She inhaled raggedly, overwhelmed with love, “ _I just want **you.** I want you to make love to me under this tree_ ” she answered softly, kissing him slowly and gently, caressing his face, drawing her fingers through his hair, communicating through her touch how deeply she loved him. Steff couldn’t hear past the blood roaring in his ears; it rushed in his veins and squeezed his heart tight. As she ended this kiss, she pulled back and looked up, her eyes smoldering with undisguised want, and whispered, **“** _ **over** and **over** again_.” She kissed him again, adding, “ _I want you so much, Steff. I don’t think I can take much more of this waiting. I want to be your **wife.** I want you to make love to me **now.”**_

Steff’s heart slammed in his chest and his throat grew tight with hunger, as the stark air of desire from Andie’s eyes flooded his soul and set fire to his blood, swelling his manhood and leaving him throbbing and rock hard. Steff groaned deeply as he seized her lips in a searing kiss, his tongue invading her mouth to tangle with hers, tasting her, drinking her in. As his pulse hammered in his ears, desire cascaded out of control, his blood racing and surging in his veins, as they tore at each other’s clothes, desperate to be as close to the other as possible.

Because he was a compulsive planner, Steff took 2 seconds to toss a blanket and a couple of pillows on the floor, because, as everybody knows, rug burns kill the mood. As he and Andie sank to their knees, Steff pulled her close, pressing her center into his erection, moaning into her mouth as he did so, thrusting into her repeatedly, moments away from losing all control. He cushioned Andie as they fell to the blanket, maneuvering her atop him, centering her heat directly on his rigid length, scorching hot even through the barrier of their underwear, and began to lose his mind as she slowly rode him into insensibility.

_**“Jesus,** Kitten”_ Steff moaned, “ _you don’t know what you’re **doing** to me_ ” as he pressed her into his thickened staff, lifting his hips as she ground against him, sliding down his length. He kept one large hand on her bottom, controlling the tempo, bouncing her against his manhood in short, hard, quick thrusts, while with the other he pulled her head down to capture her lips. Andie gasped and cried out as Steff’s frenzied lunges brought out previously undiscovered sensations; the minimal amount that Steff was restraining her movements, controlling them, aroused her endlessly, encouraging her to lose all control and restraint herself. Steff moved his hand from the back of Andie’s head, allowing her to tear her mouth away to gasp for breath, as he slid his free hand down her back and over her bottom to trace the juncture between her thighs, moving her sodden panties aside as he slid one finger and then another into her achingly tight, throbbingly drenched channel.

Andie’s heart stopped, before exploding in her chest, causing her to cry Steff’s name over and over again, as his hands and hips controlled their movements; speeding up to a feverish pace before slowing down almost to a halt, changing the tempo, igniting insanity in her blood, riding her relentlessly until she sobbed insistently, begging him to let her climax.

“ _Tell me what you want, Kitten_ ” his voice low and rough in her ear.

“ _Oh, **God,** Steff_ ” Andie cried breathlessly, **“** _ **Please** baby….I **can’t** ….Oh God, please… **Now** , oh **please** now_ ” as she gasped and strained, fraught with need, a coil of desperation wound tight to the breaking point.

“ _You want me inside you, Kitten?_ ” Steff groaned roughly in Andie’s ear, latching on and gently biting her neck. Andie’s impassioned cries were driving Steff insane; all he could think of was entering her silken heat, _**taking** her_ , making her his.

Andie was beyond even speech at this point. All she could do was sob in acquiescence, begging him wordlessly to get her there. Steff grasped her firmly, plunging his fingers relentlessly into her slickened, throbbing flesh as he thrust his rock hard length against her pulsating bundle of nerves, groaning in measure with each thrust.

“ _Feel me Kitten?_ ” Steff’s ragged voice, thick with need, thrummed deep within Andie’s core. “ _Feel me inside you?_ ”

**“** _ **Yes,** Steff, oh **God,** yes… **please**_ **”** Andie begged, senseless with want, a low keening cry emanating from deep within her soul.

**“** _ **Now,** Kitten_ ” Steff groaned, as he felt the beginnings of Andie’s blessed release. “ _Oh God!…. **Andie…**_ **”** he gasped as her flesh tightened and convulsed around his fingers. His hips pistoned wildly against her core, losing all control as her contractions gripped him in an agonizingly blissful sweetness. Try as he might, Steff could hold back his own orgasm no longer. Dragging his shorts down with a jerk, he freed his own rampant arousal to press against Andie’s soft belly, enveloping himself in her warmth as his climax barreled forth, so forcefully it robbed him of breath. As her release came upon her, Andie’s heart exploded in exultation, her climax a beautiful, blinding, transcendent moment of paradise. She sobbed Steff’s name again and again as she rode the waves of bliss, collapsing onto his chest at last, utterly spent.

It was a long, _**long**_ time before either one of them could speak again. Andie couldn’t move, could only breath raggedly, her face buried in Steff’s neck, as Steff compulsively squeezed her to him, gasping and panting for breath, his chest heaving. Many minutes later, when conscious thought became a possibility again, Andie realized she was probably crushing Steff – _he might be able to get some oxygen to his **own** brain if you’d get off him_ , she thought wryly as she rolled off his chest to her side, snuggling close to him. They lay, wrapped in each other’s arms, looking in wonder at one another for quite a while, not speaking, communicating all the love they felt through their eyes, their caresses, as they listened to the Christmas music still playing on the radio.

At last Steff kissed Andie softly. “ _I love you so much, Kitten_ ” he whispered tenderly, brushing a lock of her hair back from her face, so much love shining in his eyes that he took Andie’s breath away _(again)._

“ _Oh Steff, I love you_ ” Andie breathed, smiling a gentle smile, heaven glowing in her aspect.

They were silent another minute, lost in each other.

Andie’s eyes suddenly took on the mischievous glint that Steff loved so well, and he braced himself for what he knew would be coming next.

“ _You think it would be okay if we left this tree up all year long?_ ”

 

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A/N: Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to write and let me know what you think. I read them all, and obsess over them relentlessly, and I very much appreciate the feedback. You guys are awesome! Please continue to make life worth living, and leave me a review


	43. Chapter 43

Duckie stood on a pedestal in front of a bank of mirrors, having his measurements taken by the menswear store’s _extremely_ attractive young sales associate. As Steff stood watching the proceedings, he thought he detected a bit of attraction going on – on the sales associate’s side, anyway; as usual, Duckie was oblivious to his own appeal. The more time Steff spent around Duckie, the more he came to see how charming Duckie was; he had a natural, self-deprecating wit and could converse with ease with everyone who crossed his path. Older women especially were drawn to him like moths to a flame. Privately, Steff thought that Duckie could probably have a helluva career as a gigolo, if he were possessed of a more mercenary temperament. There was something about the way that Duckie looked at women as he spoke to them; he made them feel as though they were the center of the universe, and they practically fell all over themselves to bask in the attention he paid to them. However, the young, attractive sales associate currently falling all over their self to be the center of Duckie’s universe was a very pretty, raven haired young man with beautifully arching eyebrows and brilliant gray-green eyes.

The sales associate, Devin, ran his measuring tape across Duckie’s shoulders and made an appreciative noise. “I’m going to give you another half inch in the shoulders, Phil. I don’t want you to feel restrained at all in your jacket” He circled around to stand in front of Duckie and ran the tape around his chest, and glancing up at him through sooty, dark lashes, his green-gray eyes glinting with humor (and possibly a small amount of hope) he softly muttered “Unless, of course, you’re _into_ that sort of thing.”

Steff silently chuckled, staring up at the ceiling as though there were something fascinating going on with the fluorescent lights. Duckie popped his jaw out, giving his head a swift jerk to each side as he cracked his neck, and shrugged his shoulders as a boxer would, loosening up before the ring of the bell at the start of a round. He smiled down at Devin, completely unaware of capturing the poor young man in his charismatic web, “Devin, my man, there’s a time for being loose, and a time for being tight. Myself, _personally_ … I like it _tight_ ”

Devin’s eyebrows raised to a comical height and he nodded, saying softly under his breath, “ _Good to know_.” As he continued taking Duckie’s measurements, he paused and cocked his head and stared at him for a moment, considering. “Phil, I’ll be honest with you. I don’t see you in a traditional tuxedo. A man with your lines should be in something with more _panache_.” Devin held up a hand, staying him, “I’ll be right back.”

As Devin crossed the store to bring back the jacket he had in mind, Duckie waggled his eyebrows at Steff, remarking with a grin, “Hear that _Paisan Stefan?_ I’ve got _**panache**_ ”

Steff shrugged good naturedly, “As long as your _panache_ doesn’t come with sequins, I’m willing to keep an open mind.”

Devin returned carrying an armload of items, disappearing into the bank of dressing rooms and hanging up the outfits. He returned, motioning Steff over to join them for what he was about to say. Nodding at Steff, he asked, “Your wedding, correct?”

Steff smiled and nodded.

Devin smiled and sincerely said, “Congratulations. Now I want you both to keep an open mind about what I want to put you in. This is a new look, and frankly, older guys can’t really carry it off, but I think it will do well on both of you.” He motioned them to the dressing rooms, “Steff, you’re in room three. Phil, I have you in room two.”

Steff shrugged, deciding to go with the flow and see what Devin had cooked up.

Duckie returned first, hopping back up onto the pedestal with an easy grace. Devin’s eyes lit up, and he nodded approvingly. Duckie was modeling a black tuxedo, but instead of the traditional bow tie and cummerbund, he had a long, fitted black vest and a black neck tie, tied in a Windsor knot. The presentation was very fresh, and very elegant. As Duckie preened in the mirror, Devin buzzed around him, straightening and rearranging the look to his satisfaction. Pleased at last with what he was seeing, Devin stood back and said approvingly, “ _Very_ Jason Bourne.”

At that moment Steff stepped out of his dressing room and Duckie made room for him on the pedestal, giving a whistle of approval. At Devin’s sharp intake of breath, Steff raised his eyebrows. Green eyes met blue as Devin nodded slowly, his eyes widened in appreciation. “ _Oh **yes**_ **”** he said softly. Steff looked like _royalty_ ; his tuxedo was likewise black, but with a long, fitted pewter gray vest and a pewter neck tie. The look was stunning in its sophistication and simplicity – no cheesy looking prom tuxes here; Andie’s boys were the epitome of sartorial stylishness and grace. The gray in the vest and tie offset the blue in Steff’s eyes, making them glow as though they were lit from within.

“Gentlemen,” Devin exclaimed smiling, “if you don’t get these suits, I will walk out those doors and never return, having failed in my mission to bring style to the world.”

Devin walked slowly around Steff, admiring him from all angles and adjusting things here and there. At last, satisfied with the perfection before him, he looked up at Steff and said, “Your fiancée will fall in love with you all over again as soon as she sees you in this.” Then, directing his gaze to Duckie, he made a few unnecessary adjustments, and, keeping his eyes firmly on the third button of Duckie’s black vest, softly murmured, “And _you_ , Phil…. **_You_** could get anyone that you wanted, wearing this.” His eyes slowly lifted to meet Duckie’s, a blush heating his cheeks when Duckie smiled appreciatively down at him.

Steff studied his reflection in the mirror. Having grown up on the “ _Bond, James Bond_ ” style of tuxedo, Steff wasn’t initially sold on this new style that struck him as a hybrid between a traditional tux and a three piece suit, but the longer he looked, the more it grew on him.

He met Duckie’s eyes in the mirror. “What do you say, D-Day?”

Duckie slowly turned, studying himself from different sides. He turned and pulled up the back of the jacket as he popped his hip out at Steff and Devin, checking out his ass in the mirror. “I don’t know… what do you think - does this make my butt look big?”

Steff scoffed, rolling his eyes as Devin, taking in the fetching view with wide eyed enthusiasm, slowly shook his head _no_. Devin cleared his throat, “The suit showcases your assets _beautifully_ , Phil.”

“Easy, tiger” Steff said softly, a gentle, yet amused gleam in his eyes.

Devin blushed, dropping his gaze, and began to fuss with the cuff length on Duckie’s pants.

Abruptly Duckie exclaimed “Devin, you’re a **_genius!_** ” Nodding at Steff in the mirror and smiling, he proclaimed, “We look _awesome!_ Andie’s gonna flip!”

Devin smiled at the compliment, finishing marking up the hem line on Duckie’s pants and moving on to do the same to Steff’s. “Who is Andie?” he asked.

“The love of Steff’s life, of course!” Duckie answered, twirling and admiring himself in the mirror.

Devin blinked rapidly, clearly taken aback. He had been hoping that Phil might be amenable to striking up a _friendship_ , but now to learn that it was actually _Steff_ who was involved in that sort of _friendship_ (evidently with some dude named Andy)…. Well, this cast a new light on things. He looked up from where he was marking up Steff’s hemline, a newly interested gleam in his eyes.

Steff knew exactly where this was headed. He had travelled extensively in Europe over previous summer vacations, and this was far from his first time of being hit on by a guy. Steff knew a lot of dudes who were threatened and even became violent at having another man express interest in them, but Steff had learned to just roll with it. Most guys were willing to quickly move on as soon as they got the message that he wasn’t interested; there were just too many fish in the sea. Every now and then however, he ran into the more persistent type. He was so fucking beautiful, it became almost a sort of contest among a few of the gay men he met to see if they could “turn” him, if only for a night or two. Steff bent down and kindly patted Devin on the shoulder. “Andie is my _girl_ ,” Steff said softly, so as not to embarrass him, “and you are _right_ , she’s going to love the way you’ve made me look. So on behalf of _both_ of us, thank you very much.”

Steff stood back up and said, “We’ll take them. How soon can you have them ready?”

They finished the negotiations, Devin’s eyes lighting up when Steff made it clear that he would be purchasing the suits, not renting. Duckie sputtered in protest initially; there was no way that he could afford to buy a tuxedo as beautiful as this one. Steff shushed him, telling him that it was traditional for the groom to buy the best man a tuxedo as a present. “Back me up here, Devin” Steff looked at Devin meaningfully, his right eyebrow raised, _Your commission is riding on this_.

“Oh absolutely, Phil. It’s _de riguer_.” Devin agreed, nodding.

“Der rigger?” Duckie said perplexed. “Is that like some kind of nautical terminology?” He paused, a perplexed look on his face, then his eyes lit up. “ _Oh hey!_ Is that why sailor’s dress uniforms kinda look like tuxedos?”

Steff rolled his eyes as he shook his head. _“I certainly feel like I’m going down with **this** ship”_ Steff muttered as he put his credit card back in his wallet. “You’re getting a tux, **_Phil_** , and you will look fabulous, and that’s all there is to it” he concluded decisively.

“Aye-aye, _Captain Paisan_ ” Duckie saluted. “And thank you” he added.

Steff smiled, “You’re welcome. Now let’s shove off. And no more nautical metaphors, if you please, or I will be forced to take drastic measures. They don’t call me ‘Keelhaul McKee’ for nothing.”

They shook hands with Devin, agreeing upon the date to come back in for their final fitting and thanking him for his assistance. As they were making their way out of the store, Duckie said, “I didn’t know anyone called you ‘Keelhaul McKee’. When were you in the navy?”

Steff began to laugh, shaking his head, “ _Oh my **God,** will you **stop?**_ **”** He continued to laugh as they got in the car, “The closest I’ve ever come to being in the navy is dancing to that song by the Village People”

“ _Oh!_ I love that song!” Duckie exclaimed. “And _YMCA!_ I love that song too!” He began to do the hand motions, spelling out YMCA, dancing in his seat as Steff drove down the street. Steff slunk down in his street as Duckie began to attract the attention of onlookers, who were pointing and laughing at the crazy dude gesticulating wildly in the front seat of the Porsche.

“Look man, if you’re gonna re-enact the American Bandstand Spotlight Dance segment, couldn’t you at least bust a more dignified move than the Village People?” Steff asked while rolling down his window and lighting a smoke.

Duckie began rummaging through Steff’s cassette tapes and found the Jackson 5’s Greatest Hits and popped it in the player with alacrity. As Steff pulled up at a red light, the song “Dancing Machine” came on and Duckie leapt out of the car and began to do The Robot in the street next to Steff car. Steff cranked up the volume and began to roar laughter as Duckie danced in the street to the applause and honks of bystanders. When the light turned green, Duckie spun twice in place and vaulted over the open car door, took a bow, waived to the crowd and got back in, as the cacophony of honking car horns grew.

Steff was still laughing, tears flowing from his eyes as he accelerated through the intersection. “I have never seen anything like that before in my life” he laughed. “I thought we were starring in the parade scene from ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’”

“You know I get mistaken for that guy all the time” Duckie remarked, a little out of breath from his exhibition of street theater. “I’ve even had people ask me for autographs”

“Do you sign them?” Steff asked, his eyes raised.

“Oh yeah, of course. Don’t want to disappoint my public” Duckie answered, nodding. “Those people paid good money to see me in a movie, even if it wasn’t me.”

Steff rolled his eyes, shaking his head in bemusement. Sometimes Duckie’s logic took a rather circuitous route to wherever it was going – it was best to just roll with it and see where the trip took you. As they slowed for another red light Steff glanced to the right as his attention was captured by a dress hanging in the window of a chic little boutique. The dress was white and short – the hemline was maybe 2 or 3 inches above the knees, and it had long fitted sleeves that opened and belled out at the wrist. The dress had a beaded overlay that hung down slightly over the hem, creating a very soft, elegant effect. It managed to look both modern and retro at the same time. The beading had an art-deco look to it, very sophisticated and stylish.

**_Andie’s wedding dress_**. A vision of Andie wearing that very dress flooded Steff’s mind. It was perfect for her; she would look stunning in it.

Steff pulled into a spot in front of the boutique and got out of the car like he was being shot out of a cannon. He stood in front of the window, studying the dress from all angles before at last entering the store and summoning the lone sales girl.

He pulled out his wallet, “I’m buying that dress, but I want you to leave it in the window. Don’t let anyone try it on. Tomorrow a red head is going to come in and try it on, and you’re going to find out whether or not she loves it, before telling her that it’s not for sale.” Steff handed the girl his credit card, asking, “Understand?”

Steff turned as Duckie entered the shop. “Duckie, tonight after we get back I want you to tell Iona she has to bring Andie over here tomorrow, but to act like she shopping for herself and wants Andie’s opinion on a dress she found.”

Duckie nodded knowingly, raising his right eyebrow, “Ahhh…..fashion subterfuge. You got it, _Paisan Stefan_.”

Steff turned, taking a last look at the last thing Andie would wear as a single woman and first thing she would wear as his wife. It was perfect.

Steff smiled, nodding to himself, _I love it when a plan comes together_.

 

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A/N: I’m sorry for the delay in between chapters; real life has been astonishingly intrusive of late. I appreciate everyone who has been patient with me – and as always, I live for your reviews. Please take a sec and tell me what you think!


	44. Chapter 44

“You about ready to go, Kitten?” Steff called, hoping the nervousness currently raging through his system wasn’t showing. He glanced at his watch for the third time in as many minutes, the fingers of his right hand drumming out a staccato beat on the kitchen table. _Would you calm down? She’s gonna say yes. Settle down and enjoy the ride; this will be the only time you ever propose – savor the moment!_ Steff mentally admonished himself. It wasn’t really working though. He was a nervous wreck – the last three weeks of trying to plan a wedding without the bride’s knowledge, as well as studying for and passing final exams, and trying to get ready for Christmas, had taken their toll on him. He felt stretched to the breaking point, and if it hadn’t been for the near constant, steadying presence of Duckie, Steff thought he might have gone off the deep end. Duckie had turned out to be the closest thing to a real brother that Steff could have hoped for; he seemed to have a knack for showing up when Steff was so stressed out that he couldn’t put together a coherent thought. Duckie would blow in to Steff’s apartment, talking a mile a minute with his hilariously disjointed stream of consciousness patter, distracting Steff from his worries, as he would effortlessly bundle Steff up and take him out to eat pizza and play video games at the arcade. Mostly Duckie just listened though. Listened to Steff worry about making Andie happy, listened to him talk about how much he loved her, listened to his hopes for the future. And then when Steff had gotten all that anxiety and tension out of his system for the moment, Duckie made him laugh and kicked his ass at Space Invaders. Steff ruled at Ms. Pacman though.

“All ready!” Andie called from the bedroom as she took one last look in the mirror at herself. They were meeting Steff’s parents at the Country Club for a Christmas Eve supper, and Steff had surprised her this morning with an early Christmas gift; the most beautiful dress she had ever seen in her life. She had seen it while out shopping with Iona right after Thanksgiving and had fallen in love with it at once. She had been heartbroken when the shop girl had sadly shaken her head and told her it was already spoken for. No amount of begging or pleading on her part would convince the clerk to void the previous sale, not even when Andie tearfully implored her to reconsider because Andie wanted it for her wedding dress. Despondent, she had returned to the apartment that night and cried on Steff’s shoulder, crushed over losing out on that gorgeous dress. Steff had dried her tears and comforted her and told her that she would be the most beautiful bride ever seen, even if she was wearing a t-shirt and cutoffs, and not to worry, another perfect dress would turn up. So when Andie had opened the wrapped box this morning, she had been stunned to see her longed-for gown inside. She had screamed and flung herself at Steff, crying and kissing him silly, so overwhelmed with joy that she couldn’t stop smiling the rest of the day.

Andie grabbed the white beaded clutch that had been her mother’s, and stepped out of the bedroom, smiling at the stunned look on Steff’s face as she entered the living room and paused in front of him, twirling once to give him the full effect.

Steff’s breath seized in his lungs as his throat tightened and closed up. It was a good thing that he was already sitting down, because looking at Andie made him go weak in the knees. “Oh, Kitten, you look _**so** beautiful_ ” he whispered, a note of longing mixed with awe in his voice. All the stress and anxiety that Steff had been carrying around for the past three weeks melted away as he gazed in adoration at his soon to be wife. Seeing all the love he felt reflected in her eyes, he felt a sense of peace descend upon him, all the recent noises and distractions dissolving in an instant, as a pervading warmth imbued his being.

Steff stood and gathered Andie into his arms, holding her close and nesting his face in her hair, breathing her in. After a long moment he pulled back and gazed down into her eyes and gave her a soft, gentle kiss. “I could look at you every single minute of every single day for the rest of my life, and it wouldn’t be enough” he said, a small catch in his voice.

Andie’s face lit up with a dazzling smile, and her eyes sparkled with joy. “Good” she whispered against his mouth, as she kissed him sweetly. “Because I’m never letting go of you.”

Steff held her tightly for a long moment before ending their embrace and stepping back. “We should get going, or we’re going to be late meeting the parentals” he remarked, as he helped her into her coat. “I’ve got one stop to make first though.”

“Where are we going?” Andie asked, as they stepped out the door and began to make their way down to the car.

“It’s a surprise!” Steff answered mysteriously.

Andie knew better than to inquire further; Steff would reveal all when the time was right. Probably he was just playing around and it would end up being nothing more entertaining than stopping by the ATM to get some cash. As he started up the car, he suddenly stopped and patted all his pockets.

“Kitten, you got your keys on you?” he asked.

Andie opened her purse and handed over her set of keys, a questioning look on her face.

Steff leaned over and gave her a kiss, adding sheepishly, “Forgot my wallet. Lock the doors while I’m gone. I’ll be right back.” He gave her another kiss and exited the car and walked briskly back to the apartment.

A few minutes later he returned to the car and they got underway. It was a chilly night, perfect Christmas weather. Andie looked out the window, admiring all the Christmas decorations on the houses they passed. Somehow, even the brake lights of the other cars in traffic looked Christmassy. As they drove on, Andie noticed they were ascending into the hills on the outskirts of town. At last they pulled into a scenic overlook, the town, resplendent and sparkling, laid out at their feet.

They both sat silently admiring the view for a moment before Steff said “Come with me, Kitten. There’s something I want to show you.”

They exited the car and Steff led them to a park bench, conveniently situated to take advantage of magnificent view. They sat and Steff put his arm around Andie, pulling her in to the protection of his embrace. As she snuggled in next to him, she softly said “It’s so beautiful up here.”

Steff nodded. “I spent the worst night of my entire life up here.”

Andie sat up, alarm clouding her features. “What happened, Baby?” she asked, concerned.

Steff gently pulled her back to his side. “You” he answered softly.

Andie’s brow furrowed in puzzlement, but she said nothing, waiting for Steff to continue. After a moment he went on. “I came up here on prom night – _by myself_ – and spent the entire night coming to the realization that I was never going to have a shot with you, that I didn’t even _deserve_ a shot with you. That I was a worthless piece of crap, and that you had been right about me all along.” Steff felt Andie stiffen in his arms as she inhaled sharply, and he could feel the commencement of her protestations. He continued, not giving her a chance to interrupt. “And as I sat here all night, I obsessed over how I should have done things differently with you, and thought about what I could ever do to get you to see me differently.” He inhaled deeply and said quietly, “But I left here that night utterly hopeless. I knew I was out of time. Graduation was only days away, and I knew that I had blown any chance I would ever have to make things right between us.”

Steff lifted Andie’s chin, gazing into her eyes. “You broke my heart, Kitten, and it was the best thing that could have ever happened to me.”

Andie blinked in surprise.

“If it hadn’t been for that night, I would have never changed. I would have never had the courage to face myself, and who I had become – I would have never realized that it was _me_ that was broken, not you.” Steff kissed her softly before continuing, “So for that, I thank you. Because that night changed everything for me.”

Steff smiled softly, placing a stray curl behind Andie’s ear, as he gazed lovingly into her eyes. “I brought you here because you were with me then, **_here_** ” he said, taking her right hand and placing it over his heart, “on the worst night of my life.”

Steff slid gracefully off the bench to one knee.

“And you’re here with me again, on the _best_ night of my life” he smiled, tears of love gathering in his eyes, as he grasped Andie’s left hand and slid her beautiful pink diamond ring onto her finger.

“Andie, will you be with me on all the best and worst days to come - will you save my life every day, make my life perfect - _please, **please**_ **,** will you marry me?”

Andie nodded vigorously, smiling in elation. “ _Yes! Yes! **Yes!**_ **”** throwing her arms around him in joy and squeezing him tight. Their lips met in a celebratory kiss, both unable to stop smiling, so profound was their happiness and delight. They continued to kiss, laugh, and embrace for long moments, both unwilling to end the perfection of Steff’s proposal, and possibly would have remained there for hours to come, but, as Steff knew, the evening’s activities weren’t over yet, and they needed to get going.

At last Steff pulled Andie to her feet and they walked hand in hand back to the car. Neither could stop smiling as they got in and began the descent back down through the hills on their return to town. After sitting through quite a bit of Christmas Eve traffic, which neither of them even noticed, they arrived at The Briar Club and Steff pulled up to the valet parking station, smiling at the parking attendant as he slipped at fifty dollar bill into his palm, as he wished him a Merry Christmas.

The doorman greeted them both, as they entered and Steff helped Andie out of her coat and pocketed the coat check slip.

As they walked to the Maître D’s station, Steff made eye contact with the kindly gentleman he had known practically his whole life.

Georges smiled beatifically at Steff and Andie. “Ah, yes, Mr. McKee. I believe everything is ready, if you will but follow me” he said as he began swiftly walking down a long hallway, leading to a private dining area which opened out onto a large patio.

Steff’s footsteps slowed as he reached the double mahogany doors through which Georges had already slipped, and he stopped, turning Andie to face him fully. “Kitten, did you mean it back when you said you would be ready to marry me as soon as I asked?”

Andie smiled, a _frisson_ of anticipation running up her spine. It was beginning to dawn on her what was about to happen. With a mischievous gleam in her eye she nodded. “Yes, Baby. _**When** ever, **wherever**_ you say.”

Steff smiled and kissed her. “Then Kitten, let’s get married.”

“ ** _Now_** ” he added.

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has continued to check on me during the ridiculously long time in between chapter postings. My apologies for having taken so long, and my sincere gratitude for you not giving up on this story. Thank you very much for continuing to read, and please let me know what you think!


	45. Chapter 45

Their reverie was interrupted as the mahogany double doors burst open and Duckie skidded out into the hallway as though the hounds of hell were on his heels.

_“No, no, **no!** This is all **wrong!**_ **”** he cried, startling a squeak of surprise out of Andie. “ _I refuse to allow this travesty to continue!_ ”

Grabbing Steff by the shoulders, Duckie spun him around and hustled him through a side door, exclaiming in his typical rapid-fire speech, “What is **_wrong_** with you two? Don’t you know that it’s bad luck to see the bride before the ceremony?” The door closed behind them, but Duckie’s voice could still be clearly heard proclaiming, “Do I have to do **_everything_** around here? What were you _thinking?_ _You’re going to ruin **my day!**_ **”** \- followed by Steff’s uproarious laughter echoing down the hallway.

Andie was blinking in astonishment, not entirely sure what had just transpired, other than the fact that her best friend had just made off with her groom.

“The girl Duckie marries is going to be in for a rude awakening on her wedding day when she figures out that **_she’s_** not the bride, **_he_** is” Iona laughed. Andie whirled around to see Iona standing beside her, smiling lovingly at her. “C’mon, hon” she said, as she grasped Andie by the hand, “Let’s take a minute to get you ready to walk down the aisle.”

In the Ladies Room Iona fussed for a moment with Andie’s hair and makeup before declaring her the most beautiful bride ever and moved on to open an overnight bag that was sitting on the vanity countertop. Opening it, she smiled at Andie, her eyes shining, and said “You’ve got the rings, and the groom, now you need the _important_ stuff.” Reaching into the bag, she brought out a small, black velvet box and handed it to Andie.

“Your daddy wanted you to have these. Something old.”

Andie opened the box, gasping as she beheld her mother’s pearl earrings.

“There are certain days that a girl needs her mom” Iona began, a catch in her voice. “Her wedding day is one. I know I’m not your mom, but I wanted you to know that I love you, and I couldn’t be prouder of you, or happier for you than if you actually were my daughter.”

Andie began to tear up, her bottom lip trembling as she hugged Iona tightly.

“ _And no crying!_ ” Iona exclaimed, sniffing loudly, “You’ll run your mascara, and I refuse to have you walk down the aisle looking like Tammy Faye Bakker!” She and Andie erupted into giggles, as Iona handed her the next package.

It was a long, slender black velvet box and inside was a beautiful silver vintage charm bracelet with a single sterling silver charm attached; a snowflake identical to the Christmas ornament Steff had given her the night they decorated the tree, similarly engraved, _Steff & Andie 12-24-86_.

“Something new, from your groom” Iona smiled, helping her fasten the catch around her right wrist. Andie held her wrist up in the light, turning it as she admired the delicate links of the bracelet and watched as the light caught and reflected off the snowflake charm, thinking how deeply she loved Steff. She then decided that this, and her new rings, would be the only things she wore when she and Steff made love for the first time.

Iona reached into the bag again and withdrew an exquisite, timeworn lace handkerchief, delicately embroidered with the initials _EMW_ , and regarded it lovingly, a wistful expression on her face. “Something borrowed.” She smiled fondly, pressing it into Andie’s hand, “This handkerchief belonged to my Grandmother, who carried it at her own wedding to my Grandfather. She gave it to me when James and I got married as my ‘something old’, and it would mean a lot to me if you carried it with you as your ‘something borrowed.’”

Andie hugged Iona tight, a few tears escaping from them both, despite Iona’s earlier admonishment not to cry.

“And last, but certainly not least, ‘something blue’” Iona smiled, handing Andie a lacy white garter, trimmed through with blue ribbon. As Andie slid it up her leg to rest mid-way up her thigh, she glanced at Iona and asked “Since I had no idea any of this was happening, I didn’t get a chance to ask you before now, but would you do me the honor of being my matron of honor?”

Iona favored her with a dazzling smile. “ _Oh hon, of course!_ ”

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Now that the appointed hour was actually upon him, Steff felt great; loose and cool, and in the best mood of his life. Duckie, on the other hand, was a nervous wreck, his hands fluttering and darting about like hummingbirds as he jumped from topic to topic, fretting over the minutiae of the floral arrangements, before moving on to fuss with Steff’s tie. Steff bemusedly watched this frantic whirlwind of activity for a few minutes before gently grasping Duckie by the shoulders and giving him a small shake.

“Dude” Steff calmly said, moving his head with Duckie’s for a moment, before finally being able to make eye contact.

Duckie blinked rapidly several times and inhaled deeply, seeming to realize he was on the verge of some sort of cardiac episode, and stared up at Steff. After a moment he shook his head, clearing his thoughts, smiled, and began to laugh. “Sorry, man. This is my first wedding – I’m a nervous wreck.”

Steff waved his hand dismissively. “It hardly shows” he observed lightheartedly. “However, I’m really gonna expect you to pull it together when it’s time to go to the hospital for the birth of our first child” he remarked with an amused grin.

Duckie’s eyes grew wide as saucers and he actually briefly swayed on his feet, an honest to God swoon eminent.

Steff laughed. “Easy there, D-Day. You have years to prepare yourself for that event. Right now I just need you to relax and enjoy yourself.”

Duckie inhaled raggedly, nodding as he looked at the ground, before launching himself at Steff and hugging him tight. “I’m really happy for you both, _Paisan Stefan_ ” he choked out, his voice breaking.

Steff returned the hug, smiling, as he recalled the day that Duckie jumped his ass at school, marveling at how far their friendship had come.

Duckie stepped back, smoothing down Steff’s lapels, and giving his tie one final straightening that it didn’t need, before rolling his shoulders and bouncing on the balls of his feet a few times.

“ _Let’s do this_ ” he smiled.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Back in the main dining room, word had circulated amongst the membership that there was a wedding taking place that evening out on the patio. Speculation ensued about the identity of the bride and groom.

“Well dear, just let this be a lesson to you” Benny’s mom, Serena, remarked sweetly, an acidic undertone lurking just beneath the surface, undetectable to anyone but Benny. “No boy is going to buy the cow when you give the milk away for free.” She took a sip of her wine and looked at her daughter meaningfully. “That could be you in there right now, getting married on Christmas Eve.” _Then I’d be rid of you and you could be someone else’s problem._

The other guests at the table looked away, suddenly captivated by their dinners, as an awkward silence fell on the table.

Attempting to inject some levity into an uncomfortable situation, Mr. McDonough proclaimed a bit too loudly, “ _Well, I think she’s the prettiest little heifer I’ve ever seen! I find her udderly delightful!_ ”

Bunny McDonough pursed her tiny lips tightly together and delivered a swift kick under the table to her well-meaning, but cluelessly inebriated husband. Blane choked back laughter at his parent’s antics and quickly took a swig of wine.

Benny’s mother rolled her eyes, remarking “Yes, well, evidently **_Steff_** has grown _lactose **intolerant**_ **.”**

Benny and Blane sat forward at the same time, zeroing in on what she said.

_Wait. No. **What?**_

**“** _ **Steff** is getting married tonight?_ ” Benny asked, the color draining from her face.

“Invitation must’ve gotten loshed, **_lost_** in the mail” Roger McDonough slurred to Benny’s father, Darin, as he rubbed his throbbing shin.

Darin, who was also half in the bag and feeling no pain, nodded enthusiastically, “ _Ours too!_ ”

Blane glanced wildly around the room, looking for any trace of Andie. Although the memory of the beating he took from Steff at Thanksgiving was still fresh in his mind (not to mention the bruises which were now faint, but still noticeable) he perversely wanted to see Andie one last time, perhaps get to speak with her alone.

“Oh, didn’t I mention that, dear?” Serena asked, a malicious gleam in her eyes. Directing her attention to Bunny McDonough, she remarked, “I ran into Barbara McKee at the hairdresser’s and she told me about the impending nuptials.” She sniffed derisively, _furious_ at being excluded from the guest list. “Of **_course_** , even though we’re **_great_** friends of the McKees, they just couldn’t invite us to the wedding. Can’t have the groom’s old cast-offs milling about the reception; it just isn’t **_done_**.”

Benny’s green eyes glowed in fury at her mother, her hand tightening around the fork in her left hand until her knuckles turned white. _If you **had** a heart, it’d be on the end of this fork right now, you old warthog from hell!_

Bunny McDonough speared a small bite of salad, chewed and swallowed, and then asked “Do we know the Bride?”

Serena shrugged contemptuously, “Some little upstart he met at school. _Andie_ somebody.”

Bunny slowly turned and looked at her son, right eyebrow raised.

Blane abruptly stood up from his chair and remarked, “I’m going to go check out the Christmas tree in the lobby.” He crossed swiftly to behind Benny’s chair and asked “Benny, would you care to join me?”

Benny nodded, standing, as Blane pulled her chair out. “We’ll be right back” he stated to the table, as he gently removed the fork from Benny’s hand and put it back on her plate.

A minute later, as they both stared unseeingly at the Christmas tree, each absorbed in their own thoughts, Benny asked, “So what’s the plan?”

Blane was silent for a moment, considering options and their relative chances of success. At last he turned to look at Benny, remembering the mafia truism, _the enemy of my enemy is my friend._

Smiling sardonically, he proclaimed, “ _We’re gonna **stop** this wedding._ ”

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Please leave a review and let me know what you think!


	46. Chapter 46

Blane grabbed Benny by the hand, dragging her down a deserted back hallway that led to the Club’s administrative staff offices. Spying a set of French doors that opened onto a private enclosed courtyard, he opened them and pulled Benny outside, leaving the doors cracked behind them.

“What do you mean, ‘ _we’re going to stop this wedding?_ ’” Benny asked, “I don’t give a rat’s ass _**who**_ Steff marries. Let him marry that little bitch” she sniffed, tossing her head, “I hope she makes him miserable, and gives him a bunch of freaky little near-sighted, orange haired brats just like her!” After recovering from the initial shock of Steff’s impending nuptials, Benny had swiftly moved on. She had lately decided that she was destined for bigger things; being somebody’s little wifey was not part of the plan. Her modeling career was going nowhere, stuck in this stupid town, and after the first of the year she was loading up her car and moving to LA, where she planned to take the music video industry by storm. She felt sure that God hadn’t given her blonde hair and big boobs for nothing, and she sure as hell wasn’t going to waste them on anyone around here.

“Don’t you want a little revenge for Steff dumping you on prom night?” Blane asked.

Benny rolled her eyes. “Get real Blane. That’s ancient history and has _nothing_ to do with this. Everybody _knows_ Steff beat the snot out of you. You’re not fooling anyone, least of all, _me_.” Benny looked around the courtyard, bored with this conversation and Blane’s inane attempt to rope her into being his partner in crime. “Face it, faggot” she smirked, “if you weren’t such a fucking pussy, Ronald McDonald’s little sister wouldn’t have dumped you in the first place, and she wouldn’t be in there about to marry your best friend.”

Blane’s nostrils flared in anger. “Yeah, well, from what I hear, I’m not the only one who’s gotten a new nose job from being in close contact with those two.”

Benny’s eyes narrowed, and she regarded him silently for a moment.

“ _Go ahead, I’m listening_.”

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*

 

Reverend Atkinson smiled reassuringly at Steff and Duckie, who stood waiting in an alcove just off the patio where the guests were assembled, waiting for the wedding to begin. “We’re almost ready to get started, Steff. Do you have any questions about the ceremony?”

Steff smiled, shaking his head. “Ready when you are!”

The Reverend nodded, “Very good. You have the rings?”

Steff turned to Duckie, his eyebrows raised in question.

Duckie began nodding rapidly, smiling confidently as he patted the breast pocket of his tux. His smile slowly faded as he failed to feel the rings. He hurriedly began patting the other pockets in his jacket, a panicked look appearing in his eyes as he felt their emptiness. As he moved on to search his pants pockets, Duckie became visibly flustered, on the verge of a full-fledged freak out. He met Steff’s eyes with a ‘deer in the headlights’ look, and put his right index finger up, muttering “ _Be right back_ ” before turning on his heels and sprinting out of the alcove and across the patio. Several of the guest chuckled as Duckie tore past, speculating on the reason he was bolting through the crowd.

Steff looked at Reverend Atkinson, his right eyebrow raised and deadpanned, “He’ll be right back.”

Duckie raced back down the rear corridor of the Briar Club, trying to find the chamber where he and Steff had spent the last 15 minutes waiting for the ceremony to begin. In his increasingly panicked state he got turned around and went the wrong way before righting himself and finally finding the right room. As he skidded into the Club’s Library, his eyes landed on his overcoat, draped over an armchair next to the fireplace.

_Oh dear God, **please** let the rings be there_ , he fervently prayed as his heart hammered in his ears. He plunged his hands into the coat’s pockets, rifling through them briskly. He smiled in relief as his fingers closed around the ring boxes and he released the breath he had been holding. _**Yes!** Thank you, God!_ He removed the rings from their boxes and slipped Steff’s ring into his left pocket and Andie’s ring into his right. Now all he had to do was track down Iona and give her Steff’s ring and get himself back to the patio before the groom had a heart attack.

Breathing deeply in an effort to slow his pounding heart, Duckie began to try and find his way to the room where he knew Andie and Iona would be waiting. In his agitated state he twice turned down the wrong hallway before coming to a halt in a quiet corridor.

_**Fuck!** Where the hell am I?_   Duckie studied the unfamiliar surroundings, mentally reviewing the path he had taken, trying to figure out where he had made a wrong turn. As he retraced his steps in his head, he could hear voices coming down the otherwise silent hallway. _**Yay,** people!_ Duckie thought, starting towards the unseen individuals, _I can ask them how to get the hell out of here and back where I need to be._

As he strode towards them, a woman’s voice came to him. _**“That’s** no good, genius. I thought you wanted to **stop** this wedding. Pulling the fire alarm is only going to delay it, at best._ ” Duckie pulled up short, stopping to peer through a cracked set of French doors to see Blane and Benny deep in conversation in an outside courtyard, oblivious to his presence.

_What the fuck?_ Duckie stood completely still, engulfed in shadows, and listened intently.

Benny continued, “If you want to completely derail this shindig, you should start a **_real_** fire and burn this place to the ground!”

Duckie’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Blane gave a small squeak of surprise. “Okay, settle down _Polly Pyro_. I’m trying to stop a wedding, not get anyone **_killed_**.”

Benny shrugged. “Just a suggestion” she replied, sounding bored.

As they continued to discuss the merits of various methods of destruction and derailment, Duckie moved swiftly and silently to the French doors and closed them without a sound, flipping the lock with a barely audible _click_. As he continued down the corridor, he began to chuckle softly to himself as he flipped the lights off and closed the door to the connecting hallway, plunging the entire area into darkness. With any luck, no one would venture any further back in search of them, given the deserted appearance of the halls.

A few minutes later he found Iona and kissed her on the cheek, handing her Steff’s wedding ring.

“You holding up, hon?” Iona asked, a note of fondness in her voice.

“Oh sure” Duckie nodded. “Just out doing ‘Best Man’ duties. Getting the rings, foiling plots to stop the wedding. You know, typical soap opera stuff.”

Iona laughed.

“ _So let’s **plow**_ **”** Duckie said. “I’m ready to get this party started!”

“We’re ready on this end. Give us five minutes.” Iona didn’t know if Andie’s father had any last minute words of wisdom to impart to his little girl, but she wanted to give them a moment alone before he walked her down the aisle.

Duckie nodded, kissed her goodbye, and made his way back to the patio, strolling confidently through the crowd of guests, smiling in acknowledgment at their puzzled, hopeful glances. As he returned to the alcove where Steff and Reverend Atkinson stood waiting, he smiled easily at Steff’s questioning gaze.

“Everything okay there Buddy?” Steff asked.

“ _Of course, Paisan Stefan!_ ” he replied. “I just stopped to have a word with my broker, E.F. Hutton. Cuz you know, when E.F. Hutton speaks, everybody listens.”

Steff rolled his eyes bemusedly and said airily, “Well, okay, so long as it was something important.”

Reverend Atkinson chuckled, liking Duckie’s swagger and his ability to keep things loose. “Gentlemen, I believe it’s time. Take your places, please.”

Duckie gave Steff’s tie one final straightening, grinning up into his eyes. “You ready?”

Steff just smiled.

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

Years later, at their 50th wedding anniversary party, surrounded by their children and grandchildren, neither Steff nor Andie would be able to recall very many specific details about their wedding ceremony. They could mostly only recall that they had been deliriously happy and only had eyes for each other. However, Steff would never ever forget how beautiful Andie looked, how her smile lit up her face and she glowed as though lit from within. Andie would always remember the love in Steff’s eyes as they repeated their vows, and the electric jolt she felt as he slid the ring on her finger and said “With this ring, **_I thee wed_**.” Their 17 year old grandson Cameron, and the 15 year old twins, Gabby and Renee, sat with their grandparents and asked about how they met.

“Oh, your Grammy was **_so_** mean to me!” Steff remarked dramatically, warming to the oft-told story, his still-beautiful blue eyes sparkling mischievously. Andie nodded, smiling at their stunned disbelief; none of the grandchildren had ever seen their grandparents be anything but crazy in love towards each other. The thought that it hadn’t, in fact, been love at first sight, was astonishing.

At that moment, Barry Manilow’s “ _Somewhere In The Night_ ” began to play. Steff stood, taking Andie’s hand. “Come on Kitten, they’re playing our song” he smiled, leading her to the dance floor.

Watching them dance, still just as lost in each other as they had been fifty years ago, Gabby sighed dreamily, “I would give _anything_ to have a boy look at me the way Pop-Pop looks at Grammy.”

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

“If any man can show just cause why the two of these should not be lawfully wed, let him speak now or forever hold his peace” Reverend Atkinson intoned at the halfway point of the wedding ceremony. Duckie had been keeping an eye on the two sets of double doors leading from the patio back into the club, expecting at any moment to see Blane and Benny bursting in to interrupt the festivities. Duckie began an elaborate internal scenario where he saved the day and his two best friends’ wedding by taking out the bad guys with a flying drop-kick to Blane’s mid-section, and perhaps a sleeper hold for Benny; she was a girl after all, and he didn’t feel quite right about taking a swing at a girl, even one who had it coming.

So involved was he in constructing his heroic fiction that he was startled out of his reverie by Steff nudging him with his elbow. Duckie blinked rapidly, blushing as he realized that everyone was staring at him.

“The _ring_ ” Reverend Atkinson repeated softly.

“ _Oh!_ ” Duckie squeaked. Steff chuckled softly as Duckie handed over Andie’s ring. “ _Thanks, D-Day_ ” Steff whispered, winking at him.

“Place the ring on Andie’s finger and repeat after me. ‘With this ring, I thee wed’” the Reverend instructed.

Steff took a deep breath, his eyes brimming with unshed tears, his heart full near to bursting. _This is it. **Finally.** Thank you God for bringing us here_. His eyes never leaving Andie’s, he silently mouthed _I love you_ before slipping the ring on her finger and saying “With this ring, **_I thee wed_**.”

Andie’s heart gave a jolt and she inhaled sharply, the joy she felt threatening to overwhelm her. The smile she gave Steff was dazzling in its brilliance. A collective sigh spontaneously erupted from the guests gathered, everyone there either remembering a time in their own lives when they had been that deeply in love, or wishing with all their hearts to one day have someone look at them the way Andie and Steff looked at each other.

Hairball glanced around at the congregants, noticing the undisguised looks of longing on a number of the female guests’ faces, and thought, _I am **so** totally getting laid tonight. Finally, **my** turn to have to get a room!_

“Now, Andie, place the ring on Steff’s finger and repeat after me, ‘With this ring, I thee wed.’”

Andie had been wearing Steff’s wedding ring on the ring finger of her right hand throughout the entire ceremony. As she slipped it on Steff’s finger, still warm from her own, she gazed into his eyes mouthed _I love you_. Nodding, she then softly said, “With this ring, _I thee wed_.” Steff’s heart was pounding so hard he could scarce hear. _Kitten, I will **never** take this ring off._

And he never did.

“In as much as Steff and Andie have pledged their vows, and in their giving and receiving of rings, I now pronounce that they are husband and wife. What God has joined together, let no man put asunder.” Reverend Atkinson smiled at Steff. “Steff, you may now kiss your bride.”

As their lips met for the first of countless kisses of their married life together, Steff wrapped his arms snugly around Andie, pulling her tightly to him and holding her like the precious treasure she was. Andie felt all the love Steff had for her in that first embrace as his wife, and reveled in it, returning it in kind.

At last their kiss ended, probably lasting a bit longer (and certainly quite a bit more demonstrative) than was deemed proper in polite society, and Reverend Atkinson addressed the congregation, beaming, “Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my great joy to present to you, _Mr. and Mrs. Steff McKee!_ ”

 

*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*.

A/N: Thanks for reading! Please leave me a review and let me know how you feel!


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